Primrose:from Delicate to Dangerous
by The Immortal Hope
Summary: when prim's father died her family was torn apart, now that her sister has become a tribute will it happen again, or could katniss be the hope district 12 has been waiting for and how does all of this effect prim... Please R
1. Chapter 1: the morning of

**The morning of:Chapter 1**

**Hi readers! Now, I'm new at this, so try not to judge this story too harshly. This is an account of the 74th Hunger Games from Prim's P.O.V. The only thing I need you to understand is that at the beginning, in order to make it realistic, there will be some of the same things you have already read in ****The Hunger Games****. However, if you wait until Chapter 2, it gets a lot more original. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy my story!**

**Betaed by Thalia the Huntress**

Chapter 1 (The Morning Of...)

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" I scream myself out of the nightmare, and reach for the comfort and protection I know only Katniss can provide. All I encounter, though, is the mattress, as cold and stiff as the tributes in my dreams. It is then that I realized last night, when I had awoken from the first of my many nightmares, I had crawled in bed with our mother, knowing she was already awake as well. I mean wouldn't you be too if you knew that the next day one of your children could be boarding a train to take them to their almost certain death.

Oh, it scares me just thinking about it. "Katniss" I call, propping myself up on my elbows, hoping she can make me feel better like she always does. Then I realize, since it's a holiday, she's probably already out in the woods with Gale. Hunting in the woods surrounding District Twelve is strictly forbidden, punishable by death, but Katniss takes her chances because she knows that if she didn't hunt we would all have died of starvation after our father was killed in a mining accident. I had only been seven, at the time, but I still remember everything about him…

"Meow." My cat, Buttercup crawls up to me.

"Oh, good morning Buttercup! How's my special guy?" I say as I scratch between his ears. I can still remember the day I found him. I had been walking home from school, just like any other day, but just as I was passing by the baker's I heard a crashing sound from inside.

Then, I heard, "Honestly Peeta. We can't take in every stray you find walking around in The Seam! Throw it outside. NOW!" Oh, I thought, of course the witch was screaming at someone again. No surprise there. Then, I saw a boy about Katniss's age come outside and gently placed a kitten down in a soft patch of grass. He looked back to make sure he was alone, then gave it some milk, scratched its ears and ran back inside. He hadn't known, but I had been watching from behind the apple tree in their yard. After he left, the little kitten walked right up to me, and there was no way I could have turned him away. He looked at me in a way that was so sad I thought I might cry. The witch must have taken out her anger on him too, because his little nose was mashed in and half of one ear was missing. He was adorable, though, and had the fluffiest fur, the color of the bright buttercup flower. So, I decided to bring him home. Katniss was not happy about having another mouth to feed, but I think she loved him too. At first I felt bad, but I just couldn't put my sweet little Buttercup out on the street. So, I talked to Katniss, well actually, more like cried and begged until she gave in. It turned out well enough though, I love him and he mostly just eats the mice he finds in our home so I don't think Kat minds anymore.

When I enter Lady's pen and sit down on the stool she walks right up and nuzzles her snout in the small of my neck. "Hey, good to see you too, Lady" I say giggling. Since this could potentially be the last time I ever milk her I want it to be special. I want her to know how much I love her. As I start to milk her I'm so distracted with thoughts of the Hunger Games that I miss the bucket. Buttercup starts licking up the mess from the ground for me. "Oh, I'm such a klutz!" I mutter, determined to keep the tears from spilling down my cheeks, but I just can't. I'm too afraid for this afternoon, so Lady and Buttercup nose their way into my arms and help calm me down. And after I stop crying I finish milking Lady, then make my way to the kitchen, where my mom is waiting.

"Good morning Prim. Sit down and eat. I made your favourite" Says my mom as I walk in.

"Wow Mom! Thanks. You didn't have to do that for me." I say as I see that, instead of the usual brown mushy bread made from our tesserae rations, she's toasted real bakery bread over the fire, and even made some of her amazing strawberry jam.

"Oh, Prim, don't be silly. It was no trouble." She says as I dig in, eating 3 slices before I realize that Katniss is still nowhere to be seen.

"Shouldn't we save some for Katniss?" I ask.

"No, don't worry. She said she'd be with Gale until lunch." My mom replies, so I eat another piece, then another, until I'm actually full. "I boiled some water for you to have a bath, alright? Then when you get out I'll do your hair for you." she smiles, pretending it was just a normal day.

"Okay mom, sure." I reply then go into the bathroom, strip off my clothes, and let the warm soapy water wash away all my worries

Once I'm out of the bath tub I grab a towel, put my clothes back on and head back into my bedroom to dry my hair "Prim? I'm just going to boil some water for Katniss's bath, and then I'll come do your hair." My mother calls from the other room.

"Okay Mom, sounds good!" I call back. I continue wringing out my long, damp, knotty hair until Mom walks in holding what must be my outfit. "So, what do you want to do with your hair, Prim?" Mom asks me gently.

"I don't know. What do you think?" I reply, since my hair is about the farthest thing from my mind at the moment.

"Well, why don't we put it into two braids instead of one, then we can twist them back." She suggests.

"Sure Mom. That would be great!" I force myself to exclaim, trying to hide my fear from her. The truth is, I'm not even afraid for myself, because, since I'm just twelve and Katniss wouldn't let me take any tesserae, I only have one entry in the Reaping. I'm not afraid for myself, I am afraid that my sister will be taken from me, and I keep telling myself that, even though she has 20 slips, there are still thousands more of them in the reaping ball.

"Okay Prim, I'm done with your hair. Why don't you pull on your reaping clothes. Katniss will be home soon, then we'll eat our lunch, alright?" she says walking out of the room.

"Alright Mom." Looking closer at the clothes I can see that it is Katniss's first reaping outfit, a skirt and ruffled blouse. It really is pretty, but it's too big for me, so mom is going to have to make it stay with pins. It will kind of bunchy at the back, but it's still the most beautiful thing I've ever worn. Since I'm ready I head down stairs.

SLAM! I hear the door close behind Katniss as she enters the house, and walks into the kitchen to empty her game bag. She has it loaded with two fish, a few loaves of bakery bread, some greens, a quart of strawberries, salt, paraffin, and even some money left over. As I was examining her game bag she headed into the bathroom to wash off the grime from the woods. While she is in there my mother and I decide to start cooking the food. I cut up the greens, while mom cleans the fish. We have it all stewing in a pot, but we decide that to make this evening's meal special. We will save the stew, bakery bread and strawberries for tonight after the reaping. For lunch, Mom decides to make some bread from our tessera grain, and I go get some milk from the storage shed. Once we are done making lunch I go into the living room to see if there is anything on our little old TV that can comfort me. As usual, all that's on are old Hunger Games recaps, which are definitely not comforting.

Scared, I decide to go check on Katniss. When I walk into the bathroom I hardly recognize the beautiful woman in front of me as my sister. She is in a soft blue dress and matching shoes, with her hair braided up on top of her head.

"You look beautiful." I say in a hushed voice.

"And nothing like myself." she replies as she leans down to hug me. I know she's trying to comfort me, but I'm just so afraid, and I know that I should be comforting her since she's definitely more likely to be chosen, but all I do is accept her hug and try not to cry.

"Tuck your tail in little duck!" She says, and I realize that the back of my blouse has come untucked again.

"Quack." I say giggling as she tucks my shirt back in.

"Quack yourself!" she says with a light laugh, a laugh that I almost never get to hear. In fact, I think the only time she ever smiles is in the woods or when it's just me and her.

We head into the kitchen and sit down with our mother to eat our food. The milk is good and rich and, for tessera, the bread isn't bad either, but no one has much of an appetite

By one o'clock we head for the square, where the entire population of about eight thousand will be gathered since attendance is mandatory. As we arrive I am ushered toward the back with the other 12 year-olds into a rope like pen, while Katniss is herded more towards the front with all the other 16's. Since there isn't very much space, the latecomers are sent to side streets to watch on the huge television screens.

I look up just as our overly peppy escort, Effie, takes the stage and walks to her chair. It is then that I realize Haymitch is missing. BONG, BONG. Just as the clock strikes two, Mayor Undersee takes the stage and I zone out, no matter how hard I try to pay attention. All I can think about is how despicable this whole thing is. Why do we have to suffer for what happened over seventy years ago?

My attention is dragged back to the present just in time to see a very drunk Haymitch, our unfortunate mentor, stagger and holler as he mounts the stage. In a fit of drunken confusion he tries to give Effie a hug, which she has to fend off, but it doesn't seem to put a damper on her peppiness. I giggle a little bit, but as she mounts the stage to draw the names I become quiet again. She begins, as always, with her token "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour!"

As she says this I wish with all my might that this time the odds really are in our favour. "Ladies first!" she trills as she crosses over to the girls ball. She inserts her hand deep into the mass of paper, grabs a small slip and crosses back to center stage. As smoothes out the paper all I can think is please, please, don't let it be Katniss. Please no. And strangely, the odds are in my favour this time. I get my wish. The name she reads off the tiny slip of paper is not Katniss Everdeen, but instead, the name Effie calls out is my name. "Primrose Everdeen."

**Okay, so that's the first chapter! I'll have the second up tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed it and please review! And again the originality is coming just wait :). Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2: a final goodbye

Chapter 2

I look around to see the unfortunate girl that will be going off to her death, and then I realize everyone's looking at me! What wait how, how is this possible it can't be I was just one tiny slip there has to be a mistake? Though it's clear that there has not been a mistake so I grit my teeth ball up my fists and walk with stiff small steps to take the stage, and I'm about three quarters of the way there when I hear the strangled cry "prim" screams katniss

"prim" she calls again as she runs up and pushes me behind her with a single sweep of her arm

"I volunteer" she gasps "I volunteer as tribute" NO, NO she can't I won't let her, not for me no but for some reason I can't get the words out

"lovely" says Effie she continue's but I don't hear her all I can think about is katniss and how she cant go and somehow I find the strength to utter the words

"no, katniss! No! You can't go!" I shout as I wrap my arms around her because if she's going so am I. "prim let go" she says harshly

"let go" she says again and I've never heard her talk to me in this way but I'm determined to hold on, even as gale comes and tries to pull me off of her I cling for dear life, but in the end he's just to strong he picks me up as though I weigh no more than a feather and then lifts katniss onto the stage to, but I'm still struggling in his arms I won't let her go without a fight but gale is just to strong he just lifts me up and goes back to where he should be standing he places me down gently and turns to talk to me

"look prim" he says in a quiet yell "I'm no happier about this than you are bu…." He begins

"then why did you grab me I can't let her volunteer it has to be me" I cut him off

"but upsetting her isn't going to help, you know she wouldn't let you go into the games prim she's strong she can handle it don't worry about her now go find your mom I have to be here when they call out the boy tribute" he says in an attempt to calm me down but I'm crying

"okay thanks' gale good luck" I say sniffling as I turn to go find our mother. When I find her Effie is just getting ready to draw the boy tribute, so I collapse into her arms and we turn to the stage while Effie is standing centre stage and smoothes out the paper then reads in a high pitched clear voice "peeta mellark"

I'm shocked because I know this name but I just can't put a time and place to it, but the I see him with a clear expression of shock on his face as he mounts the stage and I remember that day when he placed buttercup on the ground, wait that name it sounds familiar to peeta, peeta I gasp he's the boy with the bread he's the boy who caused katniss to see the dandelion that gave us hope when we were most desperate this boy this peeta mellark who she didn't even know took a beating to give her the bread and I know how she feels about debt. Why, why him how can this be they can't kill each other and all I can think is that the odds were not in her favor not one bit. Then the mayor finishes his treaty of treason and motions for them to shake hands and then they are taken into custody and I know I must go now and say goodbye to my sister.

When I walk in I'm taken aback by how rich this room is but I've no time to dwell on that I walk straight up to my sister and sit on her lap with my arms around her neck like I did when I was little, and our mother sits next to katniss and wraps her arms around us both we sit there without speaking for a few moments then katniss starts telling us so many things it's hard to keep track of what she's saying mostly she's just talking about how I can not take out any tesserae she says if we are careful with the milk from lady and mom's apothecary business we can make it without any tesserae, she also tells us that she made a pact with gale last year and he will give us game and herbs but mom must describe them exactly, and that he won't ask for any compensation but of course we will pay him in some way with goat's milk, cheese or medicine and tells me it's important to stay in school then un expectantly she grips mom and says

"listen to me are you listening to me, you can't leave again" she says and I'm upset because she doesn't need to do this she was a year younger than me when she took over I can handle myself "I know I won't I couldn't help what…" "Well you have to help it this time you can't clock out and leave prim alone" she goes on but I don't want to hear it anymore and finally I just can't stand it we shouldn't be wasting this time we have together

"I'll be alright katniss," I say "but you have to take care to your so fast, and strong, maybe you can win" and I know even though she doesn't believe it if she has some sponsors she can do it!

"Maybe" she says with doubt in her voice. "Then we'd be rich as haymitch," she continue's wait what who cares about the money her life is on the line

"I don't care if we're rich I just want you to come home. You will try won't you really, really try?" I ask

"really, really try I swear it" she says and I know she will because she has never broken a promise to me. And then to soon the peace keepers are at the door and we're all hugging each other and giving the endless spill of I love you's and each one has more meaning than the last, then the peace keepers are all but shoving us out the door, and I hear the click of the door and the last bit of strength I have left crumbles in that moment and I break down and weep.

As we walk out I see a line of people outside katniss's door including the baker, peeta's father and think he must have the wrong room, but I also see Madge katniss's only good female friend and of course gale is at the back of the line. I also catch peeta's line, though I don't recognize most of the people in it, aside from his older brother, so o figure the others are all merchants' children as well.

Once we are back in the square we immediately start walking to the train station hoping we can see her off because it just won't be the same to watch it on TV tonight, it's a short walk to the train station, and once we arrive it's easy to get in because we are katniss's family, we step into the tunnel where there train is just in time to see them turn and walk into the train, and then the door closes and the train starts moving and I feel my sister who has always protected me, always cared for me, practically raised me, my sister who I love more than anything being slowly taken from me and for the first time in my life I think I have actually developed a murderous hate for somebody, no lots of somebody's anybody who has anything to do with the creation of the games or even enjoys them, anyone who enjoys seeing my sister taken from me and forced to be turned into something she's not they are all such despicable people I haven't the words to describe them!

When we return home I immediately go into the living room and turn on the TV knowing that the recap of the reaping's will be starting any moment. And sure enough the first thing I see is some horrible despicable capitol person talking about how much fun the games are and that he bets these will be the best yet and blah blah blah but when the reaping's start I am paying so close attention I might break the TV

district one: a girl named glimmer ugh honestly glimmer what kind of a name is that, but despite her name she is tall and strong looking with wavy blonde hair and piercing green eyes and the most triumphant smile on her face, like she's already won. The boy is named marvel oh wow that's another great name from district one he however looks less confident than the girl still strong and cocky on the outside but he's hiding a fear so large on the inside I'd be surprised if he doesn't cry.

District two another extremely strong looking girl named clove, and though she seems less cocky than the other girl there is something about her that sends a chill through my body and makes my hair stand on edge and I know that no matter the strength or size of any boy in the games, this is the scariest predator in the games, however I am quickly proven wrong when a boy twice the size of our house jumps forward to volunteer before the escort is even through reading the name, he is named Cato. And I am afraid as though I were in the games and so the reaping's go by district by district and I'm not paying as much attention any more until district eleven when a girl about my age is called she may be even smaller than me,

but the difference is there is no one stepping forward to take her place as katniss did for me and I feel so afraid for this girl who looks about ten, the boy from her district however is just the opposite he is huge and strong, perhaps as large as Cato, and I can't help but think that of course this year the two largest boys in the history of the games would be chosen, though I'm still on the fence about thresh he seems to be hiding a gentleness that I can see in his eyes and I think that maybe if he wasn't trying to kill my sister I might actually like him. I turn the TV off before district twelve because I do not want to relive that afternoon, the worst afternoon of my existence.


	3. Chapter 3: the girl on fire

Chapter 3

The next morning as I wake from my nightmare I turn to curl up next to katniss, half expecting her to be there next to me, then I wonder why I'm still having nightmares, and why am I still afraid because the worst has already happened.

Last night after the recap of the reaping I remember mom has to practically pull me to the dinner table, because all I could think of was 1. How many children are going to die 2. the huge competition for katniss and most hauntingly 3. How katniss will kill all of these people, including peeta mellark and rue When mom served the stew, strawberries, and bread we sat there silently for what felt like ages before mom finally said "prim you really should eat katniss would want you to enjoy this meal" to which I replied

"she'd want you to eat to." And then we fell back into silence until we crawled in bed.

I have to get up and go about business as though it is an ordinary day, I milk lady, I eat breakfast, and then I head off to school. I think the worst part about this is when I'm at school with my friends, and every time I talk to somebody all I get is the most pitiful glance I've ever seen and everybody in school has said "I'm sorry" about 10 000 times and this irritates me because why are they sorry it's not like they voted for her to go. No they aren't the ones who need to be sorry, but I take their pity because I know that those who are to blame would never apologize.

When I get home I go straight to the TV because I know today they will be showing the opening ceremonies live. I glance at the clock and know it's about to start, and sure enough some guy comes on to talk about things that nobody cares about, then assures us "all our tributes look stunning", but all I can think is

"Ya well how stunning do you think they'll look when they're dead!" and then mom walks in and says

"oh I hope I didn't miss anything"

"no they're just starting " I assure her.

District one looks stunning, as usual in tunics with glittering jewels on them, they make luxury items for the capitol.

Then district two rolls out, and the outfits are not what I'm thinking of looking at this boy the size of district 12 and this girl that makes me afraid to even look at her to long,

and district three, who specializes in electronics are wearing ridiculous outfits with TV antennas on their heads, it looks like they're aliens! And I can't help laugh.

Then the fishing district rolls out and they look quite attractive in something I can only describe as an outfit made of sea foam the girl has a dress of the rich colour with foam all down her body and the boy is the same only in a suit. I'm still focusing on how beautiful the district four tributes are that I miss five entirely,

but no one could miss six, they are almost completely naked, except for shoes and a hat as well as some paint, I guess their stylist was to busy worrying about how they would die to make them outfits

Then district 7,lumber and paper comes out dressed as guess what? Trees like they have been for the last 20 years, I swear they really need a new stylist,

then district eight who has huge factories and make clothes and peacekeeper uniforms, so they are dressed in what I suppose could be called a peacekeeper uniform but it's so tight and short and ripped in inappropriate places that it takes time to realize that is what it's supposed to be! And now I begin to worry because we are getting so close to seeing katniss, and I really hope she has a tasteful outfit it could really help with sponsors. By the time I shake myself district 10 is just coming out they're principal industry is livestock so they are completely covered in chicken feathers, and so again I must laugh at what's considered fashion in the capitol.

Then district eleven is coming out and I can barely see little rue behind that giant boy from her district, and then my stomach is so knotted because katniss is next….

She looks stunning and beautiful, in something so simple just a fitted black unitard an heavy boots with a cape and headpiece that are ON FIRE, that's right katniss and peeta are actually on fire and the crowd loves it, they are cheering and shouting they're names they absolutely love them, but the best part is katniss and peeta are holding hands, which I love because they are showing that they are a team, that they will not kill each other, they are just touching on rebellion, and I love it!

And in that second a million emotions are brought to surface longing, hope, anger, fear, grief, disgust. And a million ideas course through my brain, she could win, she is beautiful, theses tributes are huge, I don't want her to suffer, but most of all I'm thinking that this is all my fault. She is there because she volunteered for me; she could be dead in a week because of me.

"Well doesn't she look beautiful" exclaims my mother, she is being strong like katniss told her to but I can tell she is on the edge of tears, KNOCK, KNOCK these two quick raps on our door set my mind thinking about gale and how he is taking all of this, but when I open the door it's not gale who stands before me but rather a boy from school named physalis, and this is strange because he is a merchant's child and I don't think I've ever spoken to him, his parents own the sweets shop.

"Hi prim" he says, but I am still to shocked to respond so I just stand there and stare until mom comes to the door

"oh hi" she begins "who is this, prim?" she asks me, but I am still to stunned to speak

"um my name is physalis" he says

"i-i- uh he's in my class" I manage to stutter out "ya and I just came over to say that I'm really sorry about your sister and my mom wanted you to have this" he says holding out a simple white box

"oh well thank you, and thank your mom to, would you like to come in" mother asks

"um no, thanks I should be getting home, bye prim" he says and with that he's gone.

We open up the box to reveal… a sponsorship? They have given us money to help katniss in the games and this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me, and I know a regular thank you will not be good enough because this money could be the difference between my sister's life and death. At the bottom of the box there is a small bag with my name written on it in careful hand writing, when I open it I find candy, more candy than I've ever had in my life time is in this little bag

"I think he likes you" calls mother from the other side of the room

"ya right, mom he's just being nice, besides he said this stuff was from his parents" I reply

"well maybe so but his eyes light up whenever you speak and he acts like no one else exists" she says to my doubt

"you got all of that from 5 minuets of conversation" I reply

"it only takes a second to know something like that" she answers and to this I have no reply could she be right I'm just coming to the conclusion that my mother must be delusional when I hear more knocking, and this time it is gale

"hey kiddo, where's your mom" he says faking a smile, but I can tell he's been crying "right here" says my mother's voice from behind me. "Oh hi Mrs. E, I uh just came back from the woods and I brought you the herbs you said you were low on, and there's some meat in there to, I had a pretty good hall today" and I bet he did because whenever gale's upset he does one of two things either he goes to the woods with katniss and yells to get his anger out or he puts everything he's got into his hunting, and I think it's pretty safe to say he wasn't venting to katniss.

"Oh thank you so much gale, why don't you come in and have some tea." Asks mom

"sure, sounds good" he says so mom pours some tea and they make small talk, though they never mention katniss, then I go get the bottle of goat's milk I set aside for him and he tries to deny the offer, but I'm very persuasive. Then mom makes supper from the leftover bakery bread, strawberries and stew, seeing as how we didn't really eat it last night.

After supper I brush my teeth, pick out my clothes for tomorrow, and for the first time since the night before the reaping crawl into my own bed and allow all of my troubles to melt away as I drift into oblivion.

_I dream that I am in a meadow just outside the fence of district twelve and I'm all alone, but then I see katniss in the distance and I run to her, faster than I've ever ran in my life but it's as though I'm on a treadmill and no matter how fast I go I can't quite reach her, so I simply collapse to the ground and weep. Until a figure steps out and puts his arms around me and sits with me until I calm down and when I look up, the eyes I'm staring into do not belong to my father as I had thought but rather to physalis._

**Well that's the end of the third chapter, I was thinking I don't see why prim can't have a little romance to even if she is just twelve I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do with this new character but he will be a fairly large part of the book and the name is not random a physalis is a type of plant typically indigenous to the same places as wild roses so I figured it was a good choice, also I'm sorry to leave you with such a cliff hanger especially since I probably won't be able to write for a few days. Please R&R (okay, that was stupid, you've ov already read...but please review!)  
**


	4. Chapter 4: prim's bandage

**Chapter 4**

The next day at school I just keep to myself, and no one bugs me other than a few kids who come up say their sorry about katniss and then just walk away, I see him a few times in the hall but I always try to pretend he's not there because ever since that dream I feel like an idiot whenever I'm around him I mean to say thank you, but I just avoid his eyes, the same eyes that gave me such comfort at night.

When I enter the classroom, after lunch I just head straight for my desk, but when I get there I find a perfectly folded piece of paper on my desk, I unfold it and read the careful handwriting inside "prim please meet me in the meadow after school, I really want to talk to you –physalis" oh no what am I going to do I can't stand him up, but I can't tell him about my dream, and I can't let him know that I might even like him.

So I sit and listen to a lecture about the bi products of coal the whole time watching the clock tick by second after second and with each tiny tick of the clock I am being moved closer to the thing I am both dreading, and looking forward to, so when the teacher calls on me to name one of the things we use coal for besides our fire I just say

"sorry Mrs. E I wasn't really listening"

then she says "well maybe you'd like to listen after school" and I know that can't happen I have to meat him after school

"n-no ma'am I'm sorry i-I'm listening" I stutter out

"well it's obvious you aren't, so you will stay after class" she declares and normally I would never do this but it is an emergency situation

so I say "no please Mrs. E I can't with katniss gone I-I have to be home on time to help mother, she can't be healing the miners and worrying about me and I need to go to the market and we have to watch the training and it's all so impossible without my sister here" I say breaking down into a fake tears.

"oh well I suppose if you just listen for the rest of the day you can go alright" she says

"yes I'm listening thank you so much Mrs E" I say still sniffling a little, now I know that I just did a horrible thing, playing on her sympathies and on the fact that my sister's in the games but I had to I just had to.

When I arrive at the meadow I see him, and he looks just as he did in my dream and it takes everything I have not to run straight into his arms. So instead I just sit in the soft grass of the meadow and say "hi"

then he replies with a "hi" and says "that was a pretty good show in class today, everdeen"

"what do you mean" I ask

"I mean the fake crying " he says with a laugh "you might be able to fool our teacher but you might wanna keep your day job, eh" he says and I can't help but give a small giggle as well.

"so what did you want to talk to me about, physalis" I inquire

"well I just wanted to talk to somebody who would be as mad at the capitol as I am" he says

"what do you mean" I ask

" I mean that I am never going to forgive the capitol for taking my brother from me just 2 years ago in the 72nd hunger games, and I know that you will never forgive them for taking your sister, even if she does come back she won't be the same I've seen it just look what happened to haymitch" by this point he was standing on a rock, with the wind in his hair and he looked like he was about to murder someone, but then the soft calm boy I'm used to returned as he sat down next to me on the soft grass. "

hm" he sighs "I know I'm dumping a lot on you I just want things to change, and I know that yelling at you here in the woods isn't going to help I just want to talk to someone who truly understands" he says but all I can think of is how much he reminds me of gale, not his looks at all and he seems much softer and more emotional, but just the way gale would always yell at katniss only in the seclusion of the woods about the capitol.

"my family was ripped apart when he died, and I know so many other families have had children taken from them, these horrible people force children to kill each other, I mean one year a brother and sister were sent in and were forced to fight to death" he says almost crying and I want so badly to put my arms around him as he did in my dream

but all I say is "I know I lay awake at night thinking about it for hours, about how they can treat this as a sport sponsor it, watch it, look forward to it it is so awful the number of children who have lost their lives at the hand of the hunger games"

"1726" he says before I can finish "what?" I say " one thousand seven hundred and twenty six children aged 12 to 18 have died in 73 years of hunger games, and in a few short weeks the number will go up by 23" he says still fighting tears, and so am I

"but that can't be right there has been 73 games and 23 died in each" I say

"no" he says "on the year of the second quell 47 died" he replies and I can't help it I'm crying now and the sad thing is not because of the number of murdered children, no because deep inside I know that in years someone will be counting my sister as just another casualty, because I can probably name every living victor from district 12's haymitch to district one's twin victors cashmere and gloss, but if asked I don't think I could name 3 tributes who lost their lives.

"I know, I know" he says trying to comfort me and it's as though he is reading my mind, then I lose every ounce of will power I had and fling myself into his arms, and he is if possible even more understanding than in my dream. When I finish crying he is still holding me and I don't push him away

As we get up to leave the meadow he says "why don't I walk you home"

" oh I don't know physalis, you might choke on coal dust or see a miner" I say mocking him, for living the soft merchant's life

"don't worry I think I can handle it, everdeen" he says with a grin bordering on cocky. As we enter the seam hand in hand physalis slows down and as I look back I see he is kneeling on the ground and I am about to call for help when he start making noise

"aach, huh, can't, hu ach breath, help huu me" he says rolling on the ground pretending to choke and I can't help but laugh. Then he stands up, wipes the dirt from his pants and says

"I can't believe you didn't help me!" but he can't commit and we both start laughing, until we come up to my door and he says "well I better go before I see a miner or something, eh"

" alright see you tomorrow" I say giggling and he walks away "wait, wait!" I call after him and he does so I go to him and say "I just wanted to thank you for sponsorship, it was to kind"

"no" he says "it wasn't, I wish I could tell you that I did that out of kindness, but it, er um it wasn't me it was my parents" he says acting like he had more to say

"well thank you for bringing it any way and thank you for this afternoon" I say, then I turn around and walk inside my door.

"prim, honey is that you" calls mom

"ya sorry I'm late I was with a friend" I say back, not bothering to specify

"that's fine honey but you got a package" she says, and this is odd because we never get mail, it's probably something about katniss again, but when I open the package I find that it is from the baker and this is odd because why would he want to help us I mean my sister is trying to kill his son, and it's a really large package it holds two loaves of bread, a package of cookies, some fruit muffins, and best of all one of those amazing cakes I always made katniss come with me to look at it also holds a note promising a package of bread and baked goods every week, and for free, I don't believe it we'll have more than enough for us and gale's family, why is everyone being so kind, but it makes sense everyone feels bad for us, still I don't remember other families getting this much stuff, but then again a lot of people like katniss.

Later that night after an amazing supper and a piece of cake, I fall into a dreamless sleep.

When I wake up I realize I've been asleep far to long before I realize it's a Saturday, so I don't need to be at school, but I still should've been up earlier to help mom, then again it's like we have less work since katniss is gone because people are just giving us all kinds of things. We've gotten packages from nearly every shop in town and it's beginning to feel weird having all this new stuff, the town vet even offered to fix buttercup's nose for us, he says all he has to do is re brake it and cast it, then he'd be better in a week, and I was going to say no but apparently this will help buttercup breath when he gets older and I know I won't have another chance. So that's why buttercup isn't here right now.

I walk into the kitchen just as mom is setting down a plate with two of the amazing muffins the baker sent us, and some home made jam yum.

"wow mom it looks amazing" I say

"well I just made the jam, we realy do need to thank the baker, for these muffins" she replies

"oh how about after I milk lady I'll go and I can bring him some goat cheese or medicine or something" I say biting into a muffin, and I am so over come with delight from the amazing taste that I almost miss what mom says

"well actually honey I already milked lady, I knew you were tired so you can just go straight there when you are done"

"oh okay thanks mom" I reply with my mouth full

"What do you think I should take" I ask mom

"oh go into my dresser and you'll see a small wooden box, take that to him, but honey don't look inside it's something private, okay" so I say all right and go into our room, once I have the box I pull on my boots and jacket, then head outside?

It's cold outside so I put my hands in my pockets and feel a piece of paper in there it says "please meet me in the meadow again at eleven, if you can I really need to talk to you.

Physalis"

I look up to the town clock 10:40 oh I'd better hurry to the bakers when I get there the old witch answers "WHAT what do you want" she hollers

"I uh um I have something for your husband, can I talk to him" I say as sweetly as I can

"fine but stay out a my yard I don't need another one like that horrible sister uh yours" she nearly hollers then she's screaming for her husband.

"don't you even care?" I whisper softly

"what did you say" she asks and I muster up every ounce of courage I have and nearly yell at her

"don't you even care that your son is going to die, and so is my sister but you just sit there and make horrible comments you, you WITCH" at this she is taken aback she is speechless then her husband walks out from where he had been watching the whole thing and I flushed bright red

"I I'm sorry sir" I say "

no that's okay prim she was out of hand" he says apologetically

" WHAT HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT HOW CAN YOU SIDE WITH THIS THIS CREATURE OVER ME!" she hollers at the top of her lungs

"you insulted her sister who is with our son right now what if someone came up to you and said things like that about peeta!" he says back

"well I ah um I would.…" she trails off

"exactly now go check on the bread please this little girl wanted to talk to me" he says sternly then he turned back to me all softness

" I am very sorry about that, now what was it you wanted" he says

" I just wanted to thank you for the package and my mom wanted me to give you this" I say passing him the box

" well thank you" he says, face lighting up at the contents of the mystery box "and I hope your sister returns" he says earnestly

"what about your son" I inquire

"well I would want him to come home the most and I love him but he is to nice and soft he will want to die himself and this very reason for witch I love him, makes it nearly impossible for him to return" he says on the verge of tears

"well thank you again" I say as I turn and run for the meadow

Once again physalis is sitting waiting in the meadow "hi" I say with a huge smile that he returns as he greets me then I say "what did you need to talk to me about, oh wait let me guess you did see a miner last night and you want me to take you for psychiatric help" I say laughing

"no" he says a little to serious " I want to confess to a lie" he says

"what" I say, getting angry, I knew he was just using me, someone like him could never be friends with someone like me, I thought he miught be different, but I guess not

"I lied to you when I said that I brought that stuff because of my parents I didn't well I did but they wanted to bring it over themselves but I insisted because I wanted to talk to you, because, well because I think I'm in love with you prim"

**Dun dun dun well there you have it chapter 4 I decided physalis is going to be a sort of a cross of the best and worst of both peeta and gale so we'll see where this character takes us. Also chapter 5 buttercup will return! So please REVIEW ;)**


	5. Chapter 5: the fear of gale

Chapter 5

When I wake the next morning I feel as though the entire last day was all a dream a wonderful dream that I never want to wake up from!

After physalis made his big confession I sat there stunned for a while before it dawned on me that I feel the same way! So then I said about the worst thing I could have I said "I'm sorry" I mean really I'm sorry I meant because I'd taken so long to answer but he took it as "I'm sorry I don't feel the same way"

then he said "so am I, I really think you're special prim and even if you don't feel the same way I won't give up I won't-"

"no, no" I say explaining what I meant, then I got my fairytale moment he literally picked me up and swung me around in a circle, like I'm told people used to do on TV back when things other than the hunger games were on.

After that he took me to his house to meet his parents, and little sister, analia when we walked in I almost fainted from the delicious smells all around us, he smiles as though he was reading my mind, then he grabs a bag of colourful little candies, hands me a few, and pops some in his own mouth, right as his parents walk in

"oh physalis you know you shouldn't be having sweets before dinner" scolds his mom completely overlooking me,

until his father breaks in "oh and who's this?" asks his father,

while his mother looks up and says "oh hello dear I'm very sorry, I didn't see you there".

"hi I'm primrose everdeen, but you can call me prim" I say and they look at me like they've known me for years

"oh so YOU'RE the famous prim" says his father laughing

and I know how confused I look when physalis says "I'm very sorry my father doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut" he says looking at his father who is grinning.

"um what my husband means is um…" she trails off

"okay what he means is that I talk about you… a lot, all right sorry I'm obsessed, and now you've met my parents so do you still feel the same way" says physalis with a grin but all I do is look shyly towards the ground the he comes over an everything around us melts away all there is, is him and me forever and forever. I can barely see 8 year old analia hidden behind her mother, but I don't bother her because I know what its like to feel small and shy, with people constantly worrying about you and I know she would prefer to come to me on her terms not mine, so I respect her wishes and speak more to his parents They invite me to stay for dinner but I can't because mom will be getting worried so I scurry home and go to bed

Now I can't wait until I see him again and I know when that will be tonight in the square when they televise the training scores for katniss and the other 23 tributes, hardly a happy time, and I'd almost forgotten, when I'm with him everything melts away like chocolate left in your pocket on a sunny day and he is my sun.

I do all my morning chores, eat breakfast then remember I get my sweet angel back today, as soon as I finish a piece of that amazing cake as a very healthy breakfast,, I practically drag mom to the vet's to pick up buttercup

When we step into the very clinical looking building a woman behind the desk smiles at us and says "good morning how can I help you"

"hi I'm here to pick up my cat buttercup" I say

"okay and what's your name" she asks, still smiling

"primrose everdeen" I say then she goes into some kind of door leading to a bunch of rooms and returns with a cat I barely recognize, he's bathed, brushed, fluffy, and has a perfect straight little button nose and I just stare at him for a while until the vet walks out and says

"oh I almost forgot this is for buttercup" he says lowering a bright blue collar around his neck "now you'll never lose him" he says

"oh thank you, so much doctor" I say trying not to cry my tears of joy

"no problem, his nasal passages were pretty blocked, he was having a hard time breathing, but he's good as new now" says the doctor and words can not express how grateful I am so I pass him a small container, witch I filled with a ball of goat cheese a cup of milk and a small piece of wood that katniss carved into a cat that she insisted looked like buttercup

"I really can't accept this stuff just knowing I helped a pet is my reward" he says

"please at least take this" I say pulling out the wooden cat "because now, thanks to you katniss will need to build a new one with a straight nose when she returns" I say crying and so he silently accepts it and we are on our way.

When we get home mom begins to prepare lunch, and gale knocks on the door again, he's usually here every day to give us meat, and we've been giving him fabric, bread or cheese whatever hazel says she is running low on. He walks in with a full game bag pulls out two fat squirrels and a wild turkey for us, I hand him some herbs, and enough fabric to make some new clothes and diapers for possy, since she seems to be growing very fast.

Then gale turns to me with a smile and says " I think katniss would want me to come meet your boyfriend, just to make sure he's afraid"

then i stick my tongue out at him and say "I think we'll let her do it herself when she comes back"

"ya but a lot can happen in the few weeks she'll be gone, and I know she'd want what's best for you" he says with a smirk

"ha ha gale very funny" I say

"oh c'mon kid at least let me meat him" he says

"um let me think about that…no" I say with a grin "fine I can just find you in the square tonight anyway then I'll put the fear of gale into him" he says laughing as he heads to the door

"hey how'd you know about physalis anyway" I ask

"well it's one of two things either A I am very plugged into the district gossip or B your brilliant secret meeting place is the meadow right outside where I hunt, I'll just let you figure out which one it is" he says grinning as he walks out the door.

When we reach the square at 4:00 it's fairly empty because the show doesn't start for another hour but we just got tired of waiting, and we were so restless it was useless, to stay in, just then we see another figure walking toward us, gale I think at first, but no this boy's hair is as light as mine and it can be only one person "physalis" I call as I run for him,

"hey I figured you'd be pretty nervous and could use some support" he says grabbing my hand as we walk toward my mother, awkwardly, since I've never officially introduced them, not that mother didn't know about us, but this is their first real meeting.

Just then gale comes up behind us and whispers in my ear "told ya I'd find you in the square" and I glare at him, but I can't keep it up so I laugh.

**Gulp** "h-hi gale" stutters physalis

"well at least the kids got a brain he's already afraid of me" says gale hitting physalis playfully in the arm, though he winces in genuine pain.

"he's been warned" I say

"hm well prim would you mind if I go over here and just talk to him a minuet" asks gale politely

"all right physalis its time to see just how much you care" I say as gale drags him off

They return just as the show is beginning, physalis come up and grabs my hand again, as I lower my head onto his shoulder, when the video of training director atala comes up too tell everyone how wonderfully promising all of our tributes are and that a training score does not necessarily predict the winner and a bunch more stuff I'm not listening to when the scores start going by I notice a few the careers all do between 8 and 10,

the boy from ten with the bad foot pulls a 6 which Is impressive considering his handicap, the others average around 5 the lowest so far is the girl from 3 who gets a 2 then district 11 comes on the screen and thresh the giant gets a 9 not shocking, the surprise is little rue's 7 which is great since she's so small, peeta pulls an 8 and then katniss comes up and they are flashing the number 11!,

hu ELEVEN! That's impossible that is the highest score they've ever given, I mean not that I'm surprised, her archery is incredible but still an 11! "Wow" whispers gale and physalis in unison

"i-I don't believe it" says mom.

It's only 6 when we get home so mom says physalis can stay for a while, if his parents are okay with it, and they are, so of then of course mom invites gale to stay as well, and of course he says he'd love to

"great why don't you guys go into the kitchen, and have some tea" I say smiling sweetly

"ya, you wish prim" says gale sitting himself down on the couch

"okay fine have it your way because if you stay here we can just go into the bedroom" I say

"okay fine I'm going into the kitchen but just remember, the walls aren't that thick" he says glaring pointedly at physalis.

"I'm so sorry about him" I say as soon as gale leaves the room "he's just overprotective" I say

"I heard that" calls gale from the kitchen

"well I said it loudly" I reply and we all start laughing

"that's okay" he says "honestly I was expecting a lot worse" he confesses "well that's as bad as it gets, so now it's just you and me" I say

"good just the way I like it" he says

"not completely alone" calls gale again "

okay, gale we get it" I yell back

"maybe tomorrow we can go to the meadow, and be alone" whispers physalis

"that would be amazing" I say

"but I think gale has spies in the woods, why don't we go back to your house after school and have some actual privacy" I finish

"ya sure that sounds great" I say as he puts his arm around me.

We just sit like this without speaking in a state of perfect bliss then I break it by talking "what did gale say to you" I ask

"oh he just said that I should be really glad that i have a girl as amazing as you, he just told me the things I already knew" he says sweetly then comes my own personal moment ruiner yet again

"he's lying" chimes in gale

"I am not" says physalis

"yes he is I mean do you really see me saying those things"

"sorry, physalis I don't" I say

"well okay i'm lying but it's because gale said not to tell you what he said" he answers

"oh c'mon gale really" I ask

"yup what I said is between me and him" answers gale

"fine, but you better not have threatened him" I say

"why else would I want to talk to him" asks gale I sigh whatever I know gale won't follow through

"well I better get going it's late" says physalis as we both get up I walk him to the door and we say goodbye, 10 seconds later gale leaves, then it's just us so we say goodnight and I float into my dreams

_I dream I'm in the meadow again and I see katniss but it's not really her, and when I walk up I see her on the ground dead with gale and peeta leaning over her crying, and I am doing the same when HE walks out and everything melts away, then I realize I'm using him as a crutch I should not be happy when my sister is going to be dying soon I can't be happy she's there because of me, so I have a lot of things to think about!_

**so there's chapter 5 i hope you enjoyed it! i decided gale would be pretty protective of prim, oh and in a few chapters you'll learn all about analia's obsession with the games!**

**please review thanx!**


	6. Chapter 6: meet the family

Chapter 6

The next day at school when he walks up to me I tell him about both of my dreams and I tell him that I am very confused because I feel horrible that I am happy while katniss is going to be murdered but at the same time I know that I need him and that I can't live without him "well then there's only one thing you can do" he says

"what please tell me" I beg

"well tomorrow are the televised interviews and knowing katniss she'll send you a message" he begins "and if I had to bet I would say that she would want you to be happy no matter what, but it is your decision, so I have just one question for you prim" he says

"what" I ask

"what was the last thing she said to you, before she left" he asks

"she said that no matter what we saw on the screen, to keep moving forward, and she said that she loves me" I nearly whisper.

"well then I think you know what she would want" he says leaning forward to wipe a tear from my cheek and then I'm in his arms.

When I'm looking over his shoulder I notice the other children start assembling to stare, and then I realize this isn't good for him "oh know they're starting to stare I'm sorry your friends, what will they think, I'm so sorry I'll just go" I say starting to get up but then he's whispering back

"no please don't, I don't give a shit what anyone thinks except for you! And don't you ever, ever think that there is a person on this earth that I would ever let come between us, I want you to know that" he says

"and besides it's not like I'm the only one with friends, what would yours think about you being with a soft little merchant baby,hm" he says

"I know and I feel exactly the same way you do, I guess I just needed to hear it said aloud" I say to him, then we walk to class hand in hand

Today, like every Monday we have to go listen to the lecture on the history of panem, but with physalis beside me it's not so bad I tune it all out until the principal, decides to be the biggest jerk in the district when he finishes talking about the hunger games he says

"and this year our tributes are peeta mellark, and katniss everdeen, sister if our very own primrose everdeen! He says sounding like Effie. "how exited you must be what an honour for your sister" he says and I have to leave because I am crying know so I run straight for the bathroom.

After the assembly disaster the teacher decides to make this an easy day all we do is silent study, gym, and then we get to play outside for the last hour, and I spend most of that time with physalis.

After school we decide to go straight to his house because we know gale will be in the woods when we arrive his dad is pulling some hot candy from the oven, and his mother is at the grocers so we just head right up to his room, and then analia walks in and comes up to me "hi" she says

"hello,honey" I say back

"your pretty, I like you" she says

"aw thank's honey I like you to" I reply

"why is someone as pretty as you with my brother, you could do so much better" she says and shocks me

"oh that's not true your brother's really sweet, kind and caring" I say

"well I still don't get it" she says

"that's because your to young analia,now c'mon out of my room kiddo mom's going to be home soon" cuts in physalis

"okay, fine it was nice meeting you prim" she says sweetly

"she's not really my sister we found her in the mail slot" jokes physalis

"aw she's sweet" I say with a smile

"ya okay sure, but let's talk about something else how about.."

"why your in here alone" cuts in his dad from the doorway

"hi dad how'd you know we were hear" asks physalis

"analia ratted you out, oh she said to apologize to prim, but she had to bug you" he says

"told you she wasn't sweet whispers physalis. I giggle

then his father says "why don't you kids come downstairs and help me with the next batch,hm"

"okay, dad, can we have like 5 minuets, then we'll come right down" asks physalis

"you've got two minuets, and I'm counting" yells his father from the hall

"I tried to tell you here wasn't the best place for privacy" he says sitting himself down on the bed.

"at least here we don't have gale, breathing down our necks and threatening you" I say, I mean we're alone now, right" I say

"well that's true" he says, moving a little closer

"please tell me what gale said to you" I ask

"you know I want to but I'd rather not have an arrow shot at my head, his words not mine" he says

"what he said he'd shoot you if you told me" I ask

"yup so my lips are sealed" he says pretending to lock his lip and throw away the key

"you know he doesn't mean it right, he's just doing what he thinks katniss would want" I whisper

"I know that, now c'mon let's get downstairs before my dad comes back" he says

we go into the kitchen, where his dad is pulling those candies out "oh physalis prim, perfect, okay I have to go meet your mother, we were hoping to get your sister's birthday present today, can you guys watch analia, and I left out two recipes we're running low on if you get time okay" asks his dad

"all right sounds good" says phhysalis

After his dad leaves physalis pulls me over to the counter giggling "hey, you wanna see how we make this stuff," he asks

"yes I'd love to" I answer

"okay then come over here I'm not doing this alone!" He says laughing

it is so cool how we make this stuff we start with putting a bunch of ingredients I can't even name into a giant bowl then we use this giant thing that mixes it for us it's sooo cool, after that we put the dough into a moulding machine and it comes out all pink and in a pretty swirly shape, then he puts them in the oven, and sets a timer while we start the next batch "so what do you think" he asks

"this is so cool" I say

"hm I thought you might like it" he says

when they are out of the oven and cooling physalis grabs a few for us and says we should go check on analia, we find her in front of the TV watching a recap of the opening ceremonies "oh gosh I'm so sorry prim, analia turn that off!" he says

"no,no I'm all right" I say and I am I love my sister and I miss her but I can't avoid it so I grit my teeth and get over it because I've already seen it once so seeing it again isn't going to change anything

"oh I'm sorry prim I just loved the districts costumes this year" says analia in the most angelic voice "then she turns off the TV and asks physalis where their parents are, he lies and then she goes to her room to do her homework

when his parents return we go to my house and I get ready to go out into the square, and when we get there a big screen is set up that will stay there for the remainder of the games, there is a roped off area with chairs for the families and friends of the tributes so me, mom, gale, and physalis go sit up there because there are tons of chairs that we won't fill and I don't think I could do this without him.

The screen lights up and Caesar flickerman walks on stage, this year his colour is powder blue and everything from his hair to his toenails is blue. He greets us all welcoming us to the interviews, then the tributes are walking on stage and I don't notice any of them but katniss she is in a beautiful white dress glittering with gems that transform from red to orange, to blue and she looks like she is being eaten by tongues of fire, she is beautiful! As I watch I notice everyone is playing an angle the district on girl is being sexy and alluring in a see through golden dress that reflects her flowing hair, both district 2 tributes are ruthless heartless killers, district 3 are both week, district four well there careers, no more explanation necessary the boy from 5 is forgettable and the girl is sly,and smart like a fox, and so they go bye district by district and each one bringing me closer to katniss the little girl from 11 says she is very fast and can't be caught and I feel bad that getting my sister back means her death, means all of their deaths. When it's katniss's turn she tells us she loves the lamb stew,she says what every one knows, that cinna is a genius but she was afraid about being torched, and then she twirls for probably the first time in her life and she looks stunning like fire is burning her, they talk about her 11, then she's asked about me and she says "her name's prim, she's just twelve and I love her more than anything then the buzzer sounds and peeta is up.

I know now how much she does love me and that she would want me to be happy no matter what, and I start crying because I want my sister and I want her now I want her to be home and I don't care about anything but that, I come back just in time to hear peeta talking about some girl back home that he really likes and he says a lot of boys like her so I think it might be the grocers daughter camellia, but then he says winning won't help and I think it must be someone who's already taken maybe but then he says because she came here with me, wait did he just say what I think he said, and I know he must have because I feel gale growl and tense behind me.

**so there's the 6th chapter i hope you enjoyed it! i decided prim would feel guilty but physalis is her safety net, he's gonna help her when the games begin! please review!**


	7. Chapter 7:let the games begin!

Chapter 7

I wake up the next morning with a huge knot in my stomach, it's a Monday but I don't have to go to school we have the day off in honour of the first day of the hunger games. We have to celebrate it, and at 5:00 they'll be playing a re cap of the first day. I can't do this I think sinking back into bed since I was lucky to get 20 minuets of sleep last night between nightmares.

When I finally force myself out of bed I just go out to milk lady in my night dress, when I enter the stable I walk up to my beautiful lady, pull up my stool and get to work, when I've got my bucket full I pat her on the head give her some food and go inside to see how mom's holding up.

I walk into the kitchen and she seams fine I know she's hurting on the inside but she's being strong for katniss and for me, she sets down a delicious breakfast of pancakes and fresh milk from lady, then we just sit in the living room together, until someone knocks on the door, we open it and find a tired, sad, and terrified boy we used to call gale

"oh no gale what's wrong" I ask

"same as you" he replies "haven't slept all night, tired, worried, and furious with the capitol" he finishes

"awesome you'll fit in perfectly, welcome to our pity party" I say gesturing to the living room so we all just sit their upset for about an hour until we all get to antsy to sit anymore, gale runs off to go hunt, mom starts cleaning the house from top to bottom, and I decide to go walk with buttercup.

I get out there with buttercup at my heals and start walking around district 12, as we go people either say their sorry, toss buttercup treats, or just avoid eye contact, because what can they say. I decide to just stay out of where people are, which means walking around the fence, and then it happens I see two peacekeepers walking with that witch towards the woods,

and I just hear her saying "yup I saw em with my own eyes I don't know who it was but I saw them slip under the fence, she finishes and I know that while she may not know it was gale that that Darius and Cray who are with her do. I'm standing in the meadow when they approach

"hello prim what are you doing so far out" asks Darius, as the witch marches back to the bakery

"I just wanted to get away, you know and I'm really sorry" I say doing my best at acting remorseful

"for what" asks Cray

"it was me that she saw" I say

"why on earth would you be in the woods prim" asks Darius

"well I was walking and my buttercup ran under the fence, and those woods are so scary I couldn't let him go in there and get eaten by wild animals or something, he's all I have now I'm so sorry" I say beginning to cry and the tears are real

"well prim you know that's against the law" says Darius gently

"I know I'm really sorry I just couldn't let anything happen to him, I'll take my punishment" I say, knowing the worst they'll do is take me home and tell my mom

"well I suppose she wasn't really IN the woods just a little beyond the fence and I mean she's only twelve" says Darius to cray

"yes but she still broke the law" argues cray

"well are you really going to have her whipped or shot I mean come on it's prim" he says back

"I know we can't just let her go though" says cray

"who's going to know, we'll tell the witch that we couldn't find anyone" says Darius

"okay your right" says cray then darius turns to me

"okay prim we're gonna let you off with a warning, just don't go in there again okay" he says

"no no I won't thank you so much!" I say pretending to be grateful, even though I suspect they know it was gale as well as I do, or they will tonight when he comes to the hob

when I get home around 1:00 mom has lunch ready,though neither of us really eats, we just push food around on our plates until someone knocks on the door, I open it and my spirits lift 1000 fold, because I know that because of his brother he knows what this first day is like. we go sit on the couch and when he puts out his arms I sink into him feeling everything about him, his sweet smell, his strong hands,his comforting gaze,

"physalis she could be already dead, she could be on her way home" I whisper terrified

Ii know, I know I've been there I understand" he whispers back and I love having someone who's been there, someone who will let me cry and not tell me to be strong because I don't want to be strong I want to just sink into him farther and freeze this moment until the hunger games are over and pray my sister returns

"it's okay, it's okay" he continue's to whisper trying to comfort me, even though it's not okay, it will never be okay again

at 4:O'Clock we are dressed and headed for the square we go sit in our roped off area right at the screen, aren't we special! and then the show begins… we watch from the perspective of a tribute, as though we are her being lifted like an animal from the the waiting room into the slaughter house, and then they pan the arena settling on the golden horn with the life sustaining supplies, and then we hear Claudius templesmith's booming voice "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN LET THE 74TH HUNGER GAMES BEGIN!"and then they're off some tributes run for the horn others for the woods, then I see katniss she is grappling with a boy who I think might be from district 8 or maybe 9, they fight a while then I see the girl from district 2 with a handful of knives and she throws one at the boy and he dies instantly, then katniss uses the pack to block the knife thrown at her skull, then she runs into the woods, and out of our view so many people die that first day, the boy from district 2 leaps up behind the boy from 5 and snaps his neck, the girl from 3 gets into a fight with the boy from 10 and gets herself a knife in the chest, both tributes from 6 and 7 die though i miss how the girl from 10 gets a poorly aimed arrow to the arm from the incompetent district 1 girl, then the boy from 4 finishes her off it goes on and on it's horrible, but i haven's seen katniss so that's a good sign by the end of the day the girl from 9 and the boy from 8 have also been killed.

during this time something happens something strange in the fight the boy from 2 was almost overthrown by the boy from 4 and then peeta killed him and joined the careers! ugh that is horrible why would he do that, then we see katniss walking through the woods, she goes through her pack and finds some food, water purifier, an empty water bottle, a box of matches, some kind of metal wire, some kind of sunglasses, and a sleeping bag.

not a bad haul but she didn't get any water, which is something she's going to need, then they show a few other tributes doing the same as her, then they sign off for the night. well she's alive, so there's still hope, I must be strong

"well it's okay for know right she has supplies, and she's alive" says gale behind me

"but all she has is a knife for weaponry" says mom

"don't worry she knows how to handle herself, I mean it's katniss she has to be all right" I say

"of course, she'll be fine" says gale then I realize that physalis isn't talking, and I'm not sure if it's that this makes him think about his brother, or he just can't stand to lie to me because, he knows that it's not okay, and still remembers all the people who lied to him.

when we get home it's around 6:30 but all I want to do is just go to sleep, we all just come in and talk for awhile, then mom says I can go make the call to haymitch about the sponsorship money, and since we don't have a phone all sponsorship calls must be made at the city hall so me and physalis head over to the mayor's house and I pick up the slim black phone and dial the number 666 for the capitol sponsorship line

"hello" says a woman in that funny capitol accent

"hi, I would like to sponsor katniss everdeen, please" I say

"okay let me put you through to her mentor" says the woman

"hello" says the gruff voice that can only belong to haymitch

"hi" I reply

"how much would you like to sponsor?" asks haymitch, and between the start we had from physalis and another collection the hob started, but everyone pitched in we have quite a bit of money, but we've been instructed to only give half now and half closer to the end when she'll need it more

"$1500" I say

"wow district 12 must be working hard, hu prim" says haymitch

"how'd you know it was me?" I ask

"well you speak with a district 12 accent, you're a young girl, and I just guessed seeing as how she's you sister" says haymitch

"oh well, yes we're all working hard and this is only half, we're reserving the rest for later when she needs it more" I say

"well what about peeta" asks haymitch

"his parents also have a collection and if they allied or something we'd just pool it all together, or that's the plan at least, just haymitch, please tell me if she's okay?" I ask

"yes she's a lot better off than most and her and peeta both have quite a few sponsors"

"ya well another thing is district 12 is kinda mad at peeta about the whole career thing" I say

"well keep watching and we'll see what happens with that" says haymitch as though he knows something I don't, then just says goodbye and leaves me floundering about what he meant.

When we get home I tell them all about my conversation with haymitch, mom seems confused by what haymitch has said, it's late so physalis and gale head home, and I get into my bed and let my mattress be my boat to a different world, a happy world, with no hunger games.

**okay so the games have begun! in the next chapter we'll learn about why analia wants to watch the games all the time! and we'll see the next day of the games, and prim's relationship only gets stronger, unfortunately the next chapter won't be up for about a week, sorry! please review!**


	8. Chapter 8: going public

**okay so i was awake all night and fell asleep on my keyboard again, but i did get the 8th chapter finished! there is one thing, my computer was being weird and kept changing things particularly the name peeta into peter i looked through and i think i got them all fixed but if there is one sorry! :) hope you enjoy... **

chapter 8

I awake far to early, from the only pleasant dream i've had since a week before the reaping, and all I want to do is lay back down and return to my own magical world, a world after a victorious rebellion, a world where everything is perfect. then I get puled back into the hell I'm living, and for all I know my sister could already be dead, no no I can't think like that, she's alive I just know she is.

I do all my morning chores and eat, before realizing that my mother is no where to be seen, and she's not in our room, I go outside and see her walking towards the house "what happened" I shout

"there was an accident in the mines, can you please go prepare the table there are survivors!" she almost shouts and so I run back inside clear off the table put a clean white cotton cloth over it, and bring out the supplies we're most likely to use,

about 4 miners walk in carrying a young man about 20 who has been written off by the district doctor, but we never Wright anyone off.

we go to work I rub a mixture of herbs mom came up with to the worst parts of his body, mom starts using medicines I can't even name, then she has me disinfecting wounds while she tries to stitch up the worst of the cuts, after about an hour mom tells me there isn't much more we can do she sends me to school, and continue's to monitor the young man

when I arrive at school the teacher looks less than impressed "I trust there is a good reason your late, miss everdeen?" she asks

"um well there was an explosion in the mines today, and my mom needed help with one of the patients" I say

"very well, but next time have a friend let me know so the school doesn't have to worry about you" says the teacher

"okay, sorry Mrs.E" I reply and then go take my seat.

"where was I ,oh yes coal can be used for many things in the capitol as well, for example…." and on and on for 2 hours until lunch time, the teacher dismisses us to go grab our lunch bags and then we make our way to the cafeteria. When I walk into the cafeteria I begin absentmindedly looking around for my friends, but then someone grabs my hand from behind me i turn shocked and see a grinning physalis's standing there

"what are you doing" I ask giggling

"I thought you might want to come eat lunch with me today" he asks

"of course I would but we haven't told them yet" I say gesturing towards the two tables containing our friends

"I would imagine that they'll figure it out quite quickly" he says grinning

"all right I'm ready if you are" I say smiling back

"i've been ready my whole life" he replies so we go find a table not in use and sit down,and he was right about how fast our friends notice we're both just biting into our sandwiches, when three of my good friends friends kalmia, latania, and mitella, as well as three of his good friends abrus, orixo, and bosea walk up

"hey prim we're sitting over here" says mitella

"ya and physalis we are sitting over here" says abrus

"oh really that's great for you I'm sitting right here" says physalis at the same time I say

"oh are you that's cool I'm sitting at this table"

"okay what gives" asks kalmia and orixo in unison

"nothing" says physalis smoothly "me and prim were about to eat when you all informed us of where you were sitting" he says so matter of fact it sounds as though he just told them his name

"all right you caught a break for now, but prim we will find you at recess" says latania

"ya same goes for you physalis" says bosea and they all stalk off.

"well that went well" I say

"eh who cares" says physalis and we start eating and talking, it's the best lunch hour of my life

at recess they do find me and they bring back up in the form of every girl i've ever spoken to "all right, what's going on between you two" asks latania

"nothing" I lie

"ya right we all saw you in the cafeteria" says another good friend of mine named pyrosia

"okay, fine here's what happened" I say launching into the story telling them everything from the first note in my desk to the incident in the cafeteria, when I finish they seem just stunned

"okay somebody please say something "I finally ask

"wow I just don't believe it" says a girl who's name I don't even know

"why'd you hide it for so long" asks mitella

"because we weren't sure how you guys would handle it" I say

"well for us it's a you go girl" says kalmia, she always did know how to make people laugh and then the bell rings and we go back into the school. I'm really not interested in hearing about all the things the capitol does with all of our coal. and the teacher senses that everyone feels the same so she closes the book and says

"okay we're going to change our classroom a bit, how would everyone feel about moving our desks, okay" asks the teacher, and everyone is enthusiastic about the idea,

I end up, to my great satisfaction beside physalis. I'm also beside his friend orixo, in front of me I have ruelia, a girl from the seam, and kalmia behind me, so I'll never be bored again this is great, I love my new spot physalis turns and gives me a grin.

after school I catch up with him and we go to his house "so how'd your friends take it" I ask him

"most just said stupid stuff like ya man, or good job, and seemed happy enough, but orixo was pissed, like he looked like he might strangle me" he says

"why?" I ask

"I don't know I think because I didn't tell him about it sooner" he replies

"oh that's hard, I'm sure he'll forgive you" I say

"ya probably, he usually gets mad, then just drops it, what about your friends, how'd it go with them" he asks

"they were all scarily calm and okay with it, so now we don't have to hide at school anymore" I say

"Ya that's great" he says

when we arrive at his house, once again his sister is watching the hunger games, and I'd really rather not, but she understands that and turns it off as soon as I walk in "why does she like watching the games?" I ask physalis "I don't know, she won't tell anyone but feel free to ask" he says

"all right I will, do you mind giving us the room, for a minuet?" I ask

"okay, sure, i'd love to know why as much as you do" he says walking out of the room, so I go sit next to his sister on the couch

"analia, can I ask you a question" I say

"of course, what do you want to know, prim" she says in that angelic voice of hers

"why do you like watching the games so much?" I ask

"oh, you to hu, well the truth is 2 years ago I lost my brother to the games, I was only six, but I still remember watching him die, it was the worst thing I have ever witnessed, and every year the same thing happens, to 23 other people and they're families, 23 people with hopes and dream, with future's, with people who love them, are murdered" she says starting to cry

"I know, it's horrible, so why do you want to watch them" I ask again

"because every year it's different, and every year I come a little closer to figuring it out, when my brother died I was with him, or at least felt like I was, so now every year I analyze the entire arena, and try to think his way out. Because even though I know it won't do any good, I also know that if I could just figure it out, just realize what went worn, then maybe, just maybe I can leave the arena, so I spend as much time as possible in the arena, just so I can get out of it" she says with eyes full of tears, wow that is very in depth thinking for an 8 year old girl

"well then don't let anyone ever make you turn it off, you fight and, you get out of the arena" I respond

"but I'm not sure I want to yet, because my biggest fear is to finally get out of the arena and then have the capitol, toss me right back into it, and then I know I would go insane" she says

"don't worry about that you won't, we won't let that happen to you" I say

"oh thank you, prim" she says wrapping herself around me, and all I can think of is how I always did this very thing with katniss, the age difference is even the same, and know i know what its like to be the older sibling because, even though I've just met this girl, I would volunteer if it meant saving her life, now I understand why katniss did this, because you have no choice.

I walk into physalis's room, he looks up from where he was sitting on his bed and smiles "so did you break her" he asks

"yes, I did" I reply

"wow I mean I knew you were amazing, but analia wouldn't tell anyone anything, and you can get her to reveal her biggest secret, the one thing she wouldn't even tell our parents." he says

"so what did she say" he asks

"sorry, can't tell, it's a secret" I say laughing

"oh c'mon" he begs

"nope sorry" I say tossing a pillow at him so I can sit down "

well fine then don't tell me" he says pretending to sulk

"okay fine… I won't" I reply giggling

"oh very funny everdeen, come on we're leaving this house" he says litterly pulling me out the door.

"at least tell me where we're going" I ask "okay fine….I won't" he says mimicking my earlier tone

"oh wow very funny, freeman" I say

"since when do you use my last name" he asks

"I don't know you always do it so I thought I'd give it a try, but it sounds weird, coming from me" I say

"well nothing could sound weird coming from the lips of an angel" he says smiling that smile that makes my heart skip a beat

"but ya my last names weird" he says

"no it's not nothing about you could ever be less than perfect" I say "please tell me" I beg

"we're almost there, just be patient" he says

when we arrive I see the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me, I am standing in the meadow right outside the woods, I've seen this place a million times, but never like this,

I see a plush blanket sitting on the ground with a picnic basket on top of it, there are ribbons hung from the trees, as well as twinkling lights, and he has also placed candles in the tree tops "wow, physalis you really shouldn't have" I say in awe

"don't be ridiculous it's a privilege" he says

"oh this is the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me" I say even though we both know it's the second sweetest, katniss wins.

"well then come and sit down with me" he says heading for the blanket, I walk over to sit beside him, as we begin to eat I start to wonder if its possible to be living in this blissfully happy world, as well as this agonizing world full of pain.

we finish eating and hear the clock dong out 4 times and, know that now I have to leave my perfect heaven, back into the hell that I actually live in. when we get back into my house, I walk in and find the man from the mine explosion still lying on the table, but looking like he's going to make it, though.

Mom walks in "oh hi honey, physalis, how was your day" she asks

"good, how's he doing" I ask gesturing to the man on the table

"I'd say he's the luckiest man in the district, he's definitely going to live, but he's still close enough to death that he doesn't have to go watch the hunger games, like we do" she says somberly

"well I'm glad he's going to make it" I reply

"yes he's still out though, but we'd better head for the square okay, baby" she says, fighting her emotions

"ya okay" I say though that's just about the last thing I want to do.

we arrive much to early, but gale is already sitting in one of the bright red chairs reserved for the tributes friends and family, "hi gale how are you" I ask

"well I've had better days, but you know I'm managing" he says, so we take our seats and wait in silence until 5 O'Clock then I tense, like someone has a gun to my head, and physalis puts his arms around me and I lean into him, needing his protection to get through this next hour.

the show begins around dawn on the second day, this means there were no deaths through the night, they show katniss asleep belted into a tree, then we hear a SNAP and the camera pans, and we see the girl from district 8 doing the dumbest thing possible she is actually starting a fire, a fire right at dawn, then they show a shot of the careers and peeta seeing the smoke and heading in the direction of the idiot, and my sister, my stomach does a flip. then they show other tributes doing things like hunting, sleeping, or just walking towards something in the distance, they show every tribute still alive, just to show the audience they are alive. before long they are back to the spot with the girl who started the fire, because the careers have just found her and they surround her like the pack of wild dogs they are, as she begs for her life. the boy from 4 calls out

"twelve down, eleven to go" and this makes them all cheer except for peter he looks like a lost puppy,who found a pack of wolves. then the monstrous boy from district two stabs her with his sword, there is a horrible scream and they all run off, I let out the air I'd been holding in, they have passed over my sister, they didn't see her. but then they return to the girl from 8, she is not really dead just lying there bleeding to death this is horrible. then they show the end of an argument that had broken out amongst the careers, about weather or not the girl is dead finally peeta ends the argument

"we're wasting time, I'll go finish her, and let's move on!" he shouts over the voices of the careers, then they quickly show a shot of katniss falling upside down in her tree. once peeta is gone the careers start talking about weather or not they should kill peeta, and it seems the main reason they want him is to find katniss, but as they start talking about what he's told them about her I realize it's all wrong he told them she'd be sleeping in a cave, because she's bad with camouflage and climbing, he said that the sword is her weapon, he even said she's horrible at archery,

and then it hits me like a load of bricks, he's helping her, he's protecting her, and now we all know why he's with the careers, he really does love katniss. Then we see peeta arrive at the dying girl he kneels next to her, she screams but he starts whispering

"shh, shh, I'm not going to hurt you, I'm going to end your pain, just picture the happiest place you know, with your family and friends, I'm going to send you their hold on to that picture and remember, you will not be forgotten, he says as he plunges his knife into her heart so gently he could be massaging her back, and she dies with a peaceful look on her face, peeta mellark set her free, he stand up looks into the sky and says

"I sincerely apologize to all the citizens of district 8" and this is very strange, the rest of the day all we see of katniss is her snaring a fat rabbit and cooking it in the dead girls fire. they show the other tributes just doing whatever but no more deaths so far, then the show is over and we're heading home

when we get home, I just curl up on the couch with a blanket and physalis's arms wrapped around me, mom is sitting in the chair opposite me, gale is on the other half of the couch and he's just glaring at physalis, until we turn on the TV and watch the games, for the rest of the night mom nods off in the chair around midnight, I watch gale's eyelids get heavy and droop around 2 in the morning, and I don't bother to wake him because hazel will know where he is.

I look up and physalis still looks wide awake, even though nothing much is happening on screen, except the careers trying to hunt through the night, it's 4 in the morning and I feel my eyelids getting heavy, and the last thing I remember is physalis leaning down to whisper "it's okay, nothings going to hurt you, I'm here" and then I'm pulled into the beautiful world of my dreams.

**so i really want you guys to let me know what you think! i will be away for a week so the next chapter i'm hoping will be finished and published by sunday! thanks (ohhhh look at that little review button you know you want to, come on click it, click it :P lol)**


	9. Chapter 9: gale and madge!

**okay so i was awake all night and fell asleep on my keyboard again, but i did get the 8th chapter finished! there is one thing, my computer was being weird and kept changing things particularly the name peeta into peter i looked through and i think i got them all fixed but if there is one sorry! :) hope you enjoy... **

chapter 8

I awake far to early, from the only pleasant dream i've had since a week before the reaping, and all I want to do is lay back down and return to my own magical world, a world after a victorious rebellion, a world where everything is perfect. then I get puled back into the hell I'm living, and for all I know my sister could already be dead, no no I can't think like that, she's alive I just know she is.

I do all my morning chores and eat, before realizing that my mother is no where to be seen, and she's not in our room, I go outside and see her walking towards the house "what happened" I shout

"there was an accident in the mines, can you please go prepare the table there are survivors!" she almost shouts and so I run back inside clear off the table put a clean white cotton cloth over it, and bring out the supplies we're most likely to use,

about 4 miners walk in carrying a young man about 20 who has been written off by the district doctor, but we never Wright anyone off.

we go to work I rub a mixture of herbs mom came up with to the worst parts of his body, mom starts using medicines I can't even name, then she has me disinfecting wounds while she tries to stitch up the worst of the cuts, after about an hour mom tells me there isn't much more we can do she sends me to school, and continue's to monitor the young man

when I arrive at school the teacher looks less than impressed "I trust there is a good reason your late, miss everdeen?" she asks

"um well there was an explosion in the mines today, and my mom needed help with one of the patients" I say

"very well, but next time have a friend let me know so the school doesn't have to worry about you" says the teacher

"okay, sorry Mrs.E" I reply and then go take my seat.

"where was I ,oh yes coal can be used for many things in the capitol as well, for example…." and on and on for 2 hours until lunch time, the teacher dismisses us to go grab our lunch bags and then we make our way to the cafeteria. When I walk into the cafeteria I begin absentmindedly looking around for my friends, but then someone grabs my hand from behind me i turn shocked and see a grinning physalis's standing there

"what are you doing" I ask giggling

"I thought you might want to come eat lunch with me today" he asks

"of course I would but we haven't told them yet" I say gesturing towards the two tables containing our friends

"I would imagine that they'll figure it out quite quickly" he says grinning

"all right I'm ready if you are" I say smiling back

"i've been ready my whole life" he replies so we go find a table not in use and sit down,and he was right about how fast our friends notice we're both just biting into our sandwiches, when three of my good friends friends kalmia, latania, and mitella, as well as three of his good friends abrus, orixo, and bosea walk up

"hey prim we're sitting over here" says mitella

"ya and physalis we are sitting over here" says abrus

"oh really that's great for you I'm sitting right here" says physalis at the same time I say

"oh are you that's cool I'm sitting at this table"

"okay what gives" asks kalmia and orixo in unison

"nothing" says physalis smoothly "me and prim were about to eat when you all informed us of where you were sitting" he says so matter of fact it sounds as though he just told them his name

"all right you caught a break for now, but prim we will find you at recess" says latania

"ya same goes for you physalis" says bosea and they all stalk off.

"well that went well" I say

"eh who cares" says physalis and we start eating and talking, it's the best lunch hour of my life

at recess they do find me and they bring back up in the form of every girl i've ever spoken to "all right, what's going on between you two" asks latania

"nothing" I lie

"ya right we all saw you in the cafeteria" says another good friend of mine named pyrosia

"okay, fine here's what happened" I say launching into the story telling them everything from the first note in my desk to the incident in the cafeteria, when I finish they seem just stunned

"okay somebody please say something "I finally ask

"wow I just don't believe it" says a girl who's name I don't even know

"why'd you hide it for so long" asks mitella

"because we weren't sure how you guys would handle it" I say

"well for us it's a you go girl" says kalmia, she always did know how to make people laugh and then the bell rings and we go back into the school. I'm really not interested in hearing about all the things the capitol does with all of our coal. and the teacher senses that everyone feels the same so she closes the book and says

"okay we're going to change our classroom a bit, how would everyone feel about moving our desks, okay" asks the teacher, and everyone is enthusiastic about the idea,

I end up, to my great satisfaction beside physalis. I'm also beside his friend orixo, in front of me I have ruelia, a girl from the seam, and kalmia behind me, so I'll never be bored again this is great, I love my new spot physalis turns and gives me a grin.

after school I catch up with him and we go to his house "so how'd your friends take it" I ask him

"most just said stupid stuff like ya man, or good job, and seemed happy enough, but orixo was pissed, like he looked like he might strangle me" he says

"why?" I ask

"I don't know I think because I didn't tell him about it sooner" he replies

"oh that's hard, I'm sure he'll forgive you" I say

"ya probably, he usually gets mad, then just drops it, what about your friends, how'd it go with them" he asks

"they were all scarily calm and okay with it, so now we don't have to hide at school anymore" I say

"Ya that's great" he says

when we arrive at his house, once again his sister is watching the hunger games, and I'd really rather not, but she understands that and turns it off as soon as I walk in "why does she like watching the games?" I ask physalis "I don't know, she won't tell anyone but feel free to ask" he says

"all right I will, do you mind giving us the room, for a minuet?" I ask

"okay, sure, i'd love to know why as much as you do" he says walking out of the room, so I go sit next to his sister on the couch

"analia, can I ask you a question" I say

"of course, what do you want to know, prim" she says in that angelic voice of hers

"why do you like watching the games so much?" I ask

"oh, you to hu, well the truth is 2 years ago I lost my brother to the games, I was only six, but I still remember watching him die, it was the worst thing I have ever witnessed, and every year the same thing happens, to 23 other people and they're families, 23 people with hopes and dream, with future's, with people who love them, are murdered" she says starting to cry

"I know, it's horrible, so why do you want to watch them" I ask again

"because every year it's different, and every year I come a little closer to figuring it out, when my brother died I was with him, or at least felt like I was, so now every year I analyze the entire arena, and try to think his way out. Because even though I know it won't do any good, I also know that if I could just figure it out, just realize what went worn, then maybe, just maybe I can leave the arena, so I spend as much time as possible in the arena, just so I can get out of it" she says with eyes full of tears, wow that is very in depth thinking for an 8 year old girl

"well then don't let anyone ever make you turn it off, you fight and, you get out of the arena" I respond

"but I'm not sure I want to yet, because my biggest fear is to finally get out of the arena and then have the capitol, toss me right back into it, and then I know I would go insane" she says

"don't worry about that you won't, we won't let that happen to you" I say

"oh thank you, prim" she says wrapping herself around me, and all I can think of is how I always did this very thing with katniss, the age difference is even the same, and know i know what its like to be the older sibling because, even though I've just met this girl, I would volunteer if it meant saving her life, now I understand why katniss did this, because you have no choice.

I walk into physalis's room, he looks up from where he was sitting on his bed and smiles "so did you break her" he asks

"yes, I did" I reply

"wow I mean I knew you were amazing, but analia wouldn't tell anyone anything, and you can get her to reveal her biggest secret, the one thing she wouldn't even tell our parents." he says

"so what did she say" he asks

"sorry, can't tell, it's a secret" I say laughing

"oh c'mon" he begs

"nope sorry" I say tossing a pillow at him so I can sit down "

well fine then don't tell me" he says pretending to sulk

"okay fine… I won't" I reply giggling

"oh very funny everdeen, come on we're leaving this house" he says litterly pulling me out the door.

"at least tell me where we're going" I ask "okay fine….I won't" he says mimicking my earlier tone

"oh wow very funny, freeman" I say

"since when do you use my last name" he asks

"I don't know you always do it so I thought I'd give it a try, but it sounds weird, coming from me" I say

"well nothing could sound weird coming from the lips of an angel" he says smiling that smile that makes my heart skip a beat

"but ya my last names weird" he says

"no it's not nothing about you could ever be less than perfect" I say "please tell me" I beg

"we're almost there, just be patient" he says

when we arrive I see the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me, I am standing in the meadow right outside the woods, I've seen this place a million times, but never like this,

I see a plush blanket sitting on the ground with a picnic basket on top of it, there are ribbons hung from the trees, as well as twinkling lights, and he has also placed candles in the tree tops "wow, physalis you really shouldn't have" I say in awe

"don't be ridiculous it's a privilege" he says

"oh this is the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me" I say even though we both know it's the second sweetest, katniss wins.

"well then come and sit down with me" he says heading for the blanket, I walk over to sit beside him, as we begin to eat I start to wonder if its possible to be living in this blissfully happy world, as well as this agonizing world full of pain.

we finish eating and hear the clock dong out 4 times and, know that now I have to leave my perfect heaven, back into the hell that I actually live in. when we get back into my house, I walk in and find the man from the mine explosion still lying on the table, but looking like he's going to make it, though.

Mom walks in "oh hi honey, physalis, how was your day" she asks

"good, how's he doing" I ask gesturing to the man on the table

"I'd say he's the luckiest man in the district, he's definitely going to live, but he's still close enough to death that he doesn't have to go watch the hunger games, like we do" she says somberly

"well I'm glad he's going to make it" I reply

"yes he's still out though, but we'd better head for the square okay, baby" she says, fighting her emotions

"ya okay" I say though that's just about the last thing I want to do.

we arrive much to early, but gale is already sitting in one of the bright red chairs reserved for the tributes friends and family, "hi gale how are you" I ask

"well I've had better days, but you know I'm managing" he says, so we take our seats and wait in silence until 5 O'Clock then I tense, like someone has a gun to my head, and physalis puts his arms around me and I lean into him, needing his protection to get through this next hour.

the show begins around dawn on the second day, this means there were no deaths through the night, they show katniss asleep belted into a tree, then we hear a SNAP and the camera pans, and we see the girl from district 8 doing the dumbest thing possible she is actually starting a fire, a fire right at dawn, then they show a shot of the careers and peeta seeing the smoke and heading in the direction of the idiot, and my sister, my stomach does a flip. then they show other tributes doing things like hunting, sleeping, or just walking towards something in the distance, they show every tribute still alive, just to show the audience they are alive. before long they are back to the spot with the girl who started the fire, because the careers have just found her and they surround her like the pack of wild dogs they are, as she begs for her life. the boy from 4 calls out

"twelve down, eleven to go" and this makes them all cheer except for peter he looks like a lost puppy,who found a pack of wolves. then the monstrous boy from district two stabs her with his sword, there is a horrible scream and they all run off, I let out the air I'd been holding in, they have passed over my sister, they didn't see her. but then they return to the girl from 8, she is not really dead just lying there bleeding to death this is horrible. then they show the end of an argument that had broken out amongst the careers, about weather or not the girl is dead finally peeta ends the argument

"we're wasting time, I'll go finish her, and let's move on!" he shouts over the voices of the careers, then they quickly show a shot of katniss falling upside down in her tree. once peeta is gone the careers start talking about weather or not they should kill peeta, and it seems the main reason they want him is to find katniss, but as they start talking about what he's told them about her I realize it's all wrong he told them she'd be sleeping in a cave, because she's bad with camouflage and climbing, he said that the sword is her weapon, he even said she's horrible at archery,

and then it hits me like a load of bricks, he's helping her, he's protecting her, and now we all know why he's with the careers, he really does love katniss. Then we see peeta arrive at the dying girl he kneels next to her, she screams but he starts whispering

"shh, shh, I'm not going to hurt you, I'm going to end your pain, just picture the happiest place you know, with your family and friends, I'm going to send you their hold on to that picture and remember, you will not be forgotten, he says as he plunges his knife into her heart so gently he could be massaging her back, and she dies with a peaceful look on her face, peeta mellark set her free, he stand up looks into the sky and says

"I sincerely apologize to all the citizens of district 8" and this is very strange, the rest of the day all we see of katniss is her snaring a fat rabbit and cooking it in the dead girls fire. they show the other tributes just doing whatever but no more deaths so far, then the show is over and we're heading home

when we get home, I just curl up on the couch with a blanket and physalis's arms wrapped around me, mom is sitting in the chair opposite me, gale is on the other half of the couch and he's just glaring at physalis, until we turn on the TV and watch the games, for the rest of the night mom nods off in the chair around midnight, I watch gale's eyelids get heavy and droop around 2 in the morning, and I don't bother to wake him because hazel will know where he is.

I look up and physalis still looks wide awake, even though nothing much is happening on screen, except the careers trying to hunt through the night, it's 4 in the morning and I feel my eyelids getting heavy, and the last thing I remember is physalis leaning down to whisper "it's okay, nothings going to hurt you, I'm here" and then I'm pulled into the beautiful world of my dreams.

**so i really want you guys to let me know what you think! i will be away for a week so the next chapter i'm hoping will be finished and published by sunday! thanks (ohhhh look at that little review button you know you want to, come on click it, click it :P lol)**


	10. Chapter 10: things have got to change

**hi readers here's my 10th chapter can you believe it! thank you to everyone who reviwed this chapter is a little different but i honestly think it's my best yet so here you have it...**

chapter 10

I wake up in a strange place and I don't remember how I got here why am I not in my own bed, and then the events of the previous night all come rushing back and I remember falling asleep on their pull out couch, and I remember all of the lies I've been fed since katniss left. I realize it's early and no one else is up yet so I decide to go through the bag my mom packed for me, and I find enough clothes to last me quite a while, my nightclothes, and my hairbrush. I quickly pull out the shirt and pants from the top of the bag and go into the bathroom to get dressed. When I have my clothes on and brush my hair everyone is starting to wake up including physalis

"hey, oh wow it wasn't a dream" he says

"nope your stuck with me" I say

"ya right it was the best dream ever and now I find out it's real" he says, because he always knows how to make me blush then his hand comes up to trace the line of my jaw and just as he leans in to kiss me his father walks in

"uhem" he clears his throat.

Then we're both blushing "good morning kids" he says

"Morning dad" says physalis

"Good morning, MR. freeman" I say

"No, prim MR. Freeman is my father my name is Phaius" he says

"And I'm not a MRS either, okay hun i'm Abelia" she says

"okay, sorry, and thank you so much for letting me stay here" I say

"not at all any "friend" of our son's is welcome here, and uh we really can't believe what you've done for Analia she's so different she'll talk to us and she isn't watching the games as much" says Abelia

"well I'd say it's about breakfast time wouldn't you" breaks in phaius

after we eat breakfast we're off to school with anlia, and it's weird being the older sister

"I like your parents" I say

"really, well they love you"

"really?" I ask

"ya, well what's not to love" he says

"hm" I scoff trust me there's alot" I say

"no. Not one thing about you, everybody loves you," he says to me but I know he's lying, oh well it's a sweet lie.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: okay this is different I'm going to do a little from physalis's pov! and from now on I will put a little name above to say who's pov it is (alternating pov's will not be in most chapters only a few)

PHYSALIS

"Everybody loves you" I tell her and if know it's the truth I also know that she doesn't believe me, but it's true I love her so much but she is like her sister she can be so oblivious, I mean every boy in the school is practically falling at her feet but she thinks no body notices her, I know that if katniss hadn't somebody else would have volunteered to save her, everybody she meets instantly loves her and strangely, that's one of my favorite qualities in her. we come into the school yard hand in hand and go straight into the building and sit beside each other in our newly positioned desks and then the teacher

walks in "oh good morning kids" she says cheerily

"good morning MRS. E" I reply but prim just stares off into space as I've noticed she's been doing all morning and I just wish I could peek into that pretty blond head of hers.

once class starts me and prim start passing notes instead of speaking it's definitely not a fast way of communication but it is effective the first one is mine

"_what's wrong, I mean besides the obvious"_ is all it says. I pass it to her she carefully unfolds it then writes her simple 2 word reply

"_just thinking :)" _hm i guess I was hoping for a longer answer but at the same time I know what she's going through her mind is reeling it's just killing me I want so much to help her to comfort her I want nothing more than to pull her in to my arms and tell her everything is going to be fine but the truth is all I can do is help her grieve because I know she holds hope and so do I but what can I do and the truth is eating me alive, because the fact is I

can't do a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g. and I am so angry no I'm past angry I was angry when analia broke my watch, I was angry when the teacher gave me detention, I was angry when my parents kept the truth from me, and now watching the capitol slowly eat away at the girl I love, no I am not angry I am furious I have developed a murderous rage! against the capitol and I know things have got to change.

GALE

I sit in the woods thinking about what I've done I have now officially lost both everdeen girls forever, and I'm skipping school to boot. Even if katniss does come home I know she'll never be the same I always assumed she'd give on her whole no marriage no family thing but now having been in the games she's destined to either end up like haymitch all alone and forever pushing me away or who knows maybe she'll even fall in love with peeta,

she may have to to get sponsors, even to survive I find myself hating peeta, though I have no reason to. I love katniss it's as simple as that. Then there's prim she finds me with madge and runs away from home I know she won't listen if I tell the truth, she's gone I don't believe this what was the one thing I promised katniss I promised I would take care of prim I am breaking my promise I can't take this anymore

I decide I have to begin hunting but the first thing I shoot is a squirrel and I'm instantly reminded of how katniss always got a perfect shot through the eye and I just can't accept that she has been pulled from me and I can't take this

I'm always silent when I am upset, I always hide my emotions I never cried when my father died, I never shook when my baby sister almost did, and I never show my fear out here in the woods, I am always silent, I am always aloof, I always hide my emotions but, now I will not hide my emotions not this time I will fight, I will fight the capitol because things have got to change

MADGE

I sit here on my bed thinking only about what gale and I were talking of last night, and though I would call katniss my best friend, am I ready to start a rebellion, I try and keep my thoughts on this but all I can think of is gale I like him, I've always liked him but he's always loved katniss.

The hunger games are wrong they've always been wrong, but I've never even felt like it had anything to do with me, until my best friend was sent to her probable death, but what can I do who am I to fight the capitol I can't be any help I am the mayors daughter it's always been easy for me I've never gone without, I've never had to go past the fence or into the hob I've never had to worry but maybe I should.

DING DONG I walk down the stairs and find gale standing there looking exhausted "what's wrong?" I ask him

"prim, katniss" he stutters what I knew katniss but prim

"what about prim" I ask

"gone, gone, I didn't do it I let her down my fault" he says

"no it's not your fault" is all I can say

"I had to tell you, but know I should get home" he says, quickl composing himself once again

"okay, thank you gale, I'm so sorry" I say

"I know thanks for listening to me vent lately" he says turning to go

"it was no problem" I say watching him leave. No, no they can't do this they just can't I'm the daughter of the mayor I was always told I need to be strong I need to stay strong

and I did I stay strong every time I know my mother may not come back from the capitol, I shed no tears when my best friend was sent to be murdered, and I do not complain that my father is always gone, I have raised myself and now I must answer my question who am I

I am madge undersee I am the cause of the mockingjay and I will make a difference because things have got to change

PRIM

I am in the meadow with physalis we are talking about the capitol the hunger games, his brother, my sister and what we can do it confuses me but I am being eaten inside out how can I not do something I know that if I try I could do something great if I had help I could lead a rebellion, no I could not but katniss could she could do it but I know that in her mind I am the deciding vote but what am I thinking could I could we. then I think I have always been delicate I have always been silent I have never made a scene, I have never rebelled but every flower has to bloom every primrose, grows it's thorns and then this flower goes from delicate to dangerous and, and I know if she lives katniss will be the mockingjay but I will be the blooming primrose and I will fight because things have got to change!

**oh saanap pleeeeeeeeeeease let me know what you thought i know it's a big chapter! i've decided that to encourage people to review i will put up the next chapter after i get 10 reviews on the previous chapter okay so review review! thanks sooooo much**


	11. Chapter 11: my horrible dream

**hi sorry i took so long! i'm at a dance camp in LA so i'm just writing between classes, rehersals, and all the other stuff so ya but thank you for the wonderfull reviews also i was asked why i named physalis after a plant, well the truth is any name not already in the book (excluding analia, i just loved the sound of that!) well it was because it seemed like a lot of people in district 12 were like katniss prim, madge, and rue (ya i know district 11, sorry) so i figured why not! also this is kind of filler i promise chapter 12 will be better**

chapter 11

When we return to physalis's house I notice there's something different about him, he's not being himself "what's wrong?" I ask him

"nothing, why do you ask" he replies

"your just not yourself, today" I say

"oh I guess I just have a lot on my mind" he says

"ya I know what you mean" I tell him

"prim, I know this is about the last thing you want to do, but we should head for the square" he says as gently as possible

"okay, but i'm not sitting up there with them" I say

"no you don't have to we'll just be 2 more people in the crowd aright he says comfortingly

when we come into the square I can see my mother and gale at the front of the crowd, but I just go sit by physalis and analia, and not a moment to soon because the show is about to begin. It is different we start out in a capitol control room and I know this can't be good, the man behind the desk looks into the camera and says

"now since we reached our half way point things have been a little dull so to liven it up we've got something up our sleeves!" he says sounding very exited and I can do nothing but pray that whatever they have "up their sleeve" doesn't affect katnis

but of course I couldn't be more wrong. And so I watch helplessly as a wall of fire descends on my sister she is out of the tree and running for her life with the careers doing the same, and just when she out runs the fire wall, they start chucking fire balls at her and, one hits her right in the thigh SHE IS ON FIRE! No, no, no this can't be, and this of course is when they decide to show what happened to the careers no I don't care about them, my sister could be dead!

the careers weren't completely unscathed they're coughing and have some pretty bad burns themselves, though peeta looks fine, that boy from 1 got a burn almost as bad as katniss, then they show clips of some other tributes who see the huge wall of fire and run the opposite way, and the girl from district 5 almost runs into the pack of careers but she's clever and avoids it. They go back to katniss and we see her alive and soaking her injured leg in a pond and sorting her packs, she falls asleep.

we see a fight, but no one dies they both get away alive it's almost time for them to sign off but wait there is more action we see the careers approaching katniss no their so close but she hears them, and is 30 feet in the air before they even get to her

I am so terrified I can't watch and I just burry my head in physalis' chest. I hear a huge CRASH and look to the screen, and see the boy from district 2 lying on the ground injured from his fall and katniss is already 80 ft up the tree no way anyone's catching her!

then the girl from district 1 tries to shoot an arrow at her, she fails miserably katniss is teasing them and making them angry which is not a good idea, but it is funny, finally peeta says that she's not going anywhere and they can get her tomorrow. wow he's a very convincing liar.

"what am I going to do?" I ask to no one in particular, certainly not expecting an answer so I'm shocked when I get one

"your going to believe in your sister, she's smart she can make it out of this one" says an unfamiliar voice from behind me, I turn to see an older man

"thank you, but um and I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?" I ask

"oh of course I'm sorry prim I'm john, I trade with your sister a lot she's an amazing hunter, she will come home" he says without a trace of doubt in his voice.

When we get back to physalis's house I decide to join analia because I know there is no way I am going to sleep tonight, but my bed is in the middle of the living room so I just get ready for bed, crawl under the covers and I know I can't do this alone, so of course just then, as if on cue he walks in and dutifully sit beside me.

he puts his arms around me and the show continues, we are shown the top of a tree with a tracker jacker nest in it, yikes I'd hate to be near that tree I think, and then of course they go down the tree and we see katniss sitting in the tree, with a hole in her bag for her burnt leg to hang out. We see the careers asleep with someone on watch but peeta is not sleeping, he's at the tree base watching katniss to make sure she's okay he's not letting anyone hurt her, but wait what about the tracker jackers

They show tiny rue in the tree top warning my sister, oh that was really nice of her, wait no I can't like her she has to die oh what a horrible thought, how can they kill this little girl, how can they do this. By the time I come back they are playing the anthem and katniss is sawing at a branch, hu oh my gosh she's going to drop it on them yes she's going to live! Wait she could hurt peeta! no he's smart enough he'll get away he'll be fine, probably, I shake my head no, he has to die, they all have to die. The anthem ends, and she returns to her branch, and she has a gift, oh good haymitch is using the money we sent him she gets some medicine that helps her burns, oh that's wonderful. I feel so tired, and with his arms wrapped tightly around me I feel safe and warm so I just drift off.

_I am up in a tree far above the ground and I hear a faint humming, I look down and see physalis at the base of the tree, but wait he's not alone there are a bunch of people looking up shooting arrows at me, wielding swords but there he is fighting them off to protect me, because the price of my life is his and all these people's. Then the scene abruptly changes I am still in this tree but beneath me I see tiny rue on the ground bled white with an arrow in her side, and a little farther off the boy from district 5 with his neck snapped and if I look I see all of the tributes even those not yet dead, they are all bled lifeless, but worst of all I look to my right and see katniss, physalis, gale, and peeta sharing the same fait, and then my branch snaps and I'm falling, falling….._

_I fall into a lake, but it's not normal water it's thick, like quicksand, and I fight against the current pulling me down, down into this thick lake of BLOOD I am in a lake full of the drained bl-bl-blood of all the tributes I swirl around and round being pulled farther down, I am drowning in the blood of all the people I love._

"AHHH" I scream my way out of the worst, (or best depending on how you look at it) nightmare of my life. I have to look to the couch where physalis and analia fell asleep, just to be sure he's still there, he's alive it really was just a dream, well most of it, my sister is still out there in that arena, and she could be dead,

but I won't know until tonight, how am I supposed to get through this day and then I just start crying, like that will do anything, god I'm such a baby how can change anything if I break into tears at every bad dream I have, and I know that I'm not as strong as katniss is, but I've never felt this weak.

I know now what my part is, in a rebellion you need 4 main types of people, you need people like katniss to motivate everyone and give them hope, you need fighters like gale, you need snooty talkers, and smooth liars like peeta, and you need someone who can pull on adults heart strings like they're puppets, someone like I imagine rue could be, but she's clearly not an option, no my part, I must play the hurt little girl who only wants her sister back, the little girl who's lived in hardship her whole life, and I know how desperate and pathetic that sounds, but even though we say they don't the people in the capitol have hearts I mean they don't want to break up katniss and peeta, right.

"What's wrong, prim are you okay" says physalis waking up in a full scale panic. he's already beside me with his defenses up before I can even tell him "

no, no I'm fine" while giggling

"oh I thought you were in trouble" he says

"and you were gonna come protect me?" I ask

"well I was going to try" he says

"aw my hero" I say planting a quick kiss on his cheek.

"but really what's wrong?" he asks

"nothing I'm fine, really" I say not wanting to burden him with my horrible dreams

"well that's a lie, I mean you don't wake up at" he looks at the watch on his wrist "4:37 in the morning screaming just for the fun of it, c'mon everdeen tell me what's wrong" he practically begs

"no it's my problem, not yours" I say determined to spare him from the horror that is my subconscious

"aughghghghghghghghghghghgh i WANT to help you, your problems are my problems, because I need to protect you" he says protectively wrapping his arms around me, and I've never seen him like this, I've never seen anything but gentleness in those beautiful eyes, but now he is pure fear

"well oaky but only if you promise, not to think I'm crazy" I say

"never" he replies so I proceed to tell him about my twisted dream.

"so there you have it I'm completely insane" I tell him finally taking a breath after rushing through my story

"are you kidding, I would never think you were insane, especially not because of a dream" he says earnestly

"really you don't think I'm nuts" I ask

"of course not your just afraid for everyone you love….. and for some reason peeta. so your imagining the worst" he says comfortingly.

"ya I guess your right, I'm just being dramatic" I say laughing, because I really am being ridiculous, I mean it was just a dream… right.

"if anything I'm flattered" he says

"why, I killed you" I say

"well yes but you also said I died trying to protect you, so maybe you understand now" he says

"are you calling me stupid" I accuse

"No, no not at all I was just sang that I would die to protect you" he replies

"how do you always know what to say to cover your blunders?" I ask

"what I'm not covering anything it's the truth" he says earnestly

"no I believe you about that it's just you called me stupid in one sentence then you make me melt like butter in the next" I say wanting a real answer

"okay I wasn't calling you stupid I was just saying that you know understand how strong my feelings are for you" he says staring at me with those deep blue eyes

"oh" is all I can muster up to say, then I just stare blankly into space

"I don't deserve you" I whisper after a moment of silence "

what?" he asks sounding genuinely baffled by my comment

"well your so giving and kind, and all I can do is mope around and feel sorry for myself" I say

"no prim, don't ever talk like that it's the exact opposite" he says

"what?" now it's my turn to be confused

"you're perfect, prim so brave, beautiful, and gentle, you are so much more than you realize" he says gently running his figures through my knotted hair "people listen to you, they love you before they've even talked to you, you can make a difference prim, and I don't see why you like me" he says and I begin to lean in but then we hear something

"ya neither do I, I mean c'mon she's waaaaay out of your league" says a little voice behind us

"pft waitta ruin a moment, analia" says physalis grinning back at his sister. all I can think of is katniss, and how we always had such an easy relationship.

then he runs up and throws a giggling analia over his shoulder "hehe put me down phyly pumme down" she says with no conviction since she's laughing so hard

"No way, nally" he says laughing as loud as her, and I can't help smiling myself. Then his father walks in

"Okay, okay what's all the fuss about… physalis why are you carrying your sister?" he asks

"Um well you see-" we start laughing, effectively cutting him off

"We jus habin a wittwe fun da da" says analia acting 3 instead of almost 9

"Okay well you guys better get ready for school" he says leaving the room

"Okay why were you acting like a baby nally" he asks his sister

"um did you want to get grounded, no "daddy's little girl" just saved your but, you always wondered how I got all that stuff from dad, well know you know" she says mischievously

"oh you little" he says "now, now children let's not argue" I say

"prim you sound like a teacher" he says

"speaking of teachers, we really gotta go" I say so we head out the door and begin running to school.

**i hope you liked it! analia's birthday party will be in the next chapter, and i just might have something else up my sleeve, but you won't get to know until i get 10 more reviews mwahaha i'm so evil so review, review, review! **


	12. Chapter 12: physalis's song

chapter 12

RING the bell goes just as we enter the school, fewf we made it, but just in time, we slide in our desks just as the teacher walks in

"okay children today we're going to be starting a new novel" she says sounding like we are going to be shoving needles into our eyes. I don't know what could possibly be making her so miserable, until I get our new "novel" and of course this could make a nun swear, yet another book about the hunger games this one's entitled "cashmere and gloss, the terrific twins" great! As we begin our torture/book we find out it's about these twins from district one who became victors in back to back years, but the author is so detailed right down to the sound of some girl's arm being crunched in half, isn't it bad enough we have to live the hunger game, do we really have to read about them to.

at lunch we go to the same table we sat at the other day, but this time we are joined by kalmia, latania, mitella, abrus, orixo, and bosea it's a little awkward at first but eventually everybody seems to be talking to each other though, mitella, and bosea seem to keep to themselves kalmia and bosea seem to really like each other so that's a plus about halfway though lunch while I'm talking to physalis, latania decides it's necessary to call us out on the fact that we haven't talked to anyone but each other

"okay I know your like in love or whatever, but you could at least talk to the rest of us" she says seeming miffed, I mean she is my best friend and I haven't really been hanging out with her

"sorry nia, I know" I say looking at my feet

"so hey you wanna do something tomorrow?" I ask her

"uh well maybe sunday" she says glancing at orixo

"wait is there something going on here we don't know about?" I ask her

"what no, no why would you even think that" says orixo

"really cause I didn't say anything about you, but you seem to know what I was talking about" I tell him

"okay, okay fine yes, were dating" latania admits

"what how long?" physalis asks turning to orixo

"um about 3 months" says orixo

"what! how could you not tell me" I ask latania

"well you never told me about your boyfriend" she says

"ya well we'd been together like a week, not 3MONTHS" I say raising my voice at her

"I'm sorry" she says putting her head downing shame

"ya well you should be, oh I don't believe this and after what you gave me such a hard time about physalis" I almost scream at her

"I'm sorry I just" she begins

"just what, please finish your sentence because I really don't know why you think you couldn't trust us" I say

"I just wasn't sure how you guys would take it," she almost whispers

"well that's not good enough an apology after something like this not okay" says mitella

"ya geeze this is awful, if you don't trust us then we don't want to hang out with you" says kalmia as they turn and leave latania is on the verge of tears at this point

"oh my gosh nia come here it'll be okay" I say trying to comfort her

"why are you being so nice to me, prim I lied to you" she says

"I know but your still my best friend" I tell her

"no orixo I could never hate you, really" physalis is trying to calm him down because by this point bosea and abrus have done as my so called friends did and so they are gone

"okay so your together, we're just happy that your happy!" I say then the bell rings and we're back in class.

once school ends we go pick up analia who is so excited for her birthday party tomorrow, but I know physalis is not and why would he be all this means is that she is one year closer to being entered in the reaping, but neither of us see the point in ruining her excitement so we just go along with it "I know you've seen it phyly, just tell me what it is" she says still begging him to tell her what her parents got her

"nally if I tell you it'll ruin the surprise" he says

"oh please, please you'd be the bestes big broder in da whole world" she says with pleading eyes

"nice try, that may work on dad but not me, and are you saying I'm not already the best brother in the world?" he asks sounding offended

"no!" she pouts, walking away

"oh c'mon nally you'll find out tomorrow. morning" he says

"okay!" she says clearly over her pouting fit

"I think she might be manic depressive" he whispers to me

"I think she's a 9 year old girl" I whisper back

"uh no i'm gonna stick with my analogy" he says smiling at me

when we get back to his house it's later than usual so all we have time to do is change and head for the square, which I am not looking forward to, once we arrive there we just go sit where we were before, and wait for the show to begin

they begin the show with what I've already seen katniss beginning to saw the branch and her gift, then show a shot of each tribute asleep, just so we know their all still alive, then they go to where katniss was but all we see is a nest falling and the careers screaming

"TO THE LAKE, TO THE LAKE" I'm watching peeta the whole time and he makes it, he's alive but the girls from district 1 and 4 aren't so lucky, they just twitch for a while before they finally die we see the careers at the lake an argument erupts between cato and peeta

"you knew, didn't you" he growls at peeta

"what why the hell would I have stayed there if I'd known" he says back

"you were there to save your girlfriend well nothing can save her now!" he screams running back to where katniss was, but peeta is faster he easily gets there before cato and he's screaming at katniss to run while she tries to pry the bow and arrows from glimmer's dead body

she makes it away but peeta doesn't I see cato's sword raised over peeta's heart "this is it, lover boy, it's over" he says menacingly "any last words" he asks but peeta simply closes his eyes and whispers

"I love you katniss" this seems to make cato angrier and he loses control, or maybe it's the tracker jacker poison but he misses and only gets his leg, though it could be a fatal hit, then cato passes out from the poison, but peeta holds out better he's able to get up to the stream, though leaving a trail of blood, and camouflage himself and he stops the blood from his fresh wound. They show all the remaining careers and katniss passed out in a trance of poison the last thing we see on screen is katniss in pain screaming

"no prim, not prim, you can't die!" and the show ends

No, how can they end it their my sister, "she's in such pain and it's my fault" I sob

"no prim it's not your fault and she'll be fine" physalis tries to comfort me

"no it is I should be the one in there" I say

"no you know she would never have let that happen she loves you, and all she wants is for you to be safe" he continues wrapping his arms around me as his worried face hovers above

"I know" I say sobbing

"It's just I don't know what I'm going to do when she's gone, I'm a mess when she's in pain imagine if she were gone, I just can't do this anymore" I say still crying a river

"You are strong like her, if something did happen I know you could make it" he says

"no I don't want to make it I don't want anyone else to die, I don't want to live in fear that I will be thrown to die, or you, or analia or any other child, I just want it to stop" I say

"I know, we all do, but saying that out here won't help" he says eying the peacekeeper coming toward us

"Hello, ms everdeen could we talk to you" asks the peacekeeper

"Uh um well I" I stutter

"And may I ask why" breaks in physalis "we just wanted to clarify a few things, with her" he says

"Well I'm coming with her" says gale (just appearing) and physalis at the same time

"if it's all the same to you boys we'd prefer to talk to ms everdeen alone" says the peacekeeper

"It's not all the same to me, I am going with you" says gale

"No gale, I'm going" says physalis

"It's okay we can both go" says gale

"Okay, one of you can come," says the man

"I'm going" they say in unison

"okay, gale I understand why you want to, but I'm going" says physalis

"okay kid I've known her since she was 7, I'm going" retorts gale

"okay I'll give you 2 seconds before neither of you get to come" says the man getting irritated

"okay, fine gale you can go, your stronger anyway" he says looking at the ground

"hm good choice kid" says gale

we enter a room that looks a lot like the room I said goodbye to katniss in, and the memories are overwhelming I sit down beside gale and prepare for the worst

"Okay so prim is it" he asks

"Yes" I reply afraid

"No need to be afraid I just thought it would be best to remind you of a few things" he says

"Like what" asks gale coolly

"Well as you know the hunger games are narrowing down quickly and you know what happens at the final 8 right" he asks

"Of course, 7 more die" I say

"No, I mean the interview and as of now the odds of katniss making it are very good and so I just wanted to remind you that though all of us know katniss hunts, you really shouldn't mention that or anything else rebellious that she does" he says

"Okay yes I understand" I say

"Very well I just thought it best to warn you ahead of time" he say as we stand to leave.

GALE

"Well that was weird" prim says to herself

"They're just reminding us that if we say one wrong thing they can kill her in 5 seconds flat" I says solemnly

"Not that you would care" she says under her breath what how can she think that

"You can't be serious, I love your sister more than anything" I tell her

"Not more than madge" she say still nettled

"What? There's nothing between me and madge" I says

"Really because that's not what I saw" she says sulking

"hm okay primster come sit with me I need to talk to you" I say so we go sit on a big rock

"Look I do love katniss, you have to believe me and I want her to come home more than anything, but madge and I have a lot in common" I say I mean I couldn't well tell her me and madge were planning a rebellion, I couldn't burden sweet young innocent prim with that, she'd worry to much

"I understand, I was just hurt that you didn't tell me" she says

"I know but I was just not sure how everyone would take it" I say

"Well gale I'm not people I'm me" she tells me looking sad

"well I had to learn about your first boyfriend by overhearing you in the meadow while I was hunting" I tell her

"Okay so we're even" she says smiling

"ya we're even" I agree "and prim you have to go home, think about your mother" I tell her "

I know I guess I was just upset there's been a lot happening" she says looking ashamed

"I know but just talk to her I know she wants you back really badly" I say

"ya I will" she assures me and the we're saying goodbye and I'm heading home

I walk up to my mother so that I can apologize but I never get there

"Oh prim I've missed you so much, I know shouldn't have said what I did, I know I was wrong, I'm so sorry you had every right to be mad I just really want you back baby now I understand if you don-"

"Mom, mom it' okay I came to apologize" I say cutting her off

"Oh baby you don't need to apologize just come home" she begs

"Yes mom I'm ready to come back, I'll be back by tomorrow alright" I tell her

"Alright have a good night" she says and walks off smiling

"hey so what happened" asks a familiar voice from behind me

"not much, just talking about the interview" I tell him

"oh alright well that's a relief" he says

we arrive at his house and I immediately get ready for bed "Hey going to sleep" physalis asks, entering the room

"oh um ya soon I guess" knowing I will never really sleep

"hey wanna talk" he asks

"no but would you talk to me" I request

"hm okay" he says and begins talking about anything he can think of

"so how do you feel about tomorrow" I ask

"i'm frightened, in just 2 years my baby sister could be-" he trails off

"ya i know" is all I can say

"will you sing for me" I ask

"um well I'm not very good but okay" he says and he begins to sing softly:

_Sleep my child _

_and peace attend thee,_  
_ All through the night._  
_ Guardian angels God will send thee,_  
_ All through the night._  
_ Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,_  
_ Hill and vale in slumber sleeping,_  
_ I my loving vigil keeping,_  
_ All through the night._  
_ While the moon her watch is keeping_  
_ All through the night._  
_ While the weary world is sleeping_  
_ All through the night._  
_ O'er the spirit gently stealing,_  
_ Visions of delight revealing,_  
_ Breathes a pure and holy feeling,_  
_ All through the night._


	13. Chapter 13: happy birthday or is it?

**okay wow i can't believe i'm at 13 chapters this story's just flying by! i want to thank everyone who reviewed! and i love all of you, however my next chapter will be a little longer than ussual because tomorrow is the day! that's right mockingjay comes out so i'll be living that book until i finish reading it, but i'll be fast i promise! so enjoy chapter 13!**

Chapter 13

I wake up early and watch as the sun begins to slowly move across the sky, the beautiful glorious sun rise streaked with pink, orange, and red, the sunrise that brings the hope of a fresh and beautiful new day because wherever you are and no matter how bad it seems there is always the hope of a new day. This sun is the only thing I still share with my sister.

analia is the first one awake after me "happy birthday" I say as she walks in the room

"Thanks, prim" she says smiling from ear to ear and she should be right? The celebration of someone's birth should be a good thing but the only happy birthday in district 12 is the 19th birthday because then you are safefrom the reaping.

"So when does the party start?" I ask

"Oh my friends will be here at noon, but I'm still waiting for mommy and daddy to wake up so I can have my present" she tells me

"Oh, well I'm sure they'll be up soon, but in the meantime what do ya say we "wake up" your brother" I say mischievously

"What do you mean" she says clearly confused.

…

"Okay so you go fill this glass with water alright, i'm gonna make sure he stays asleep, alright" I tell her

"Okay" she says giggling so I walk into the living room and watch him sleep he looks so peaceful until he starts talking

"No, no prim" what why is he talking about me in his sleep "no take me take me" he screams "prim- I-I" SPLASH he jumps up shocked by his wet awakening

"What was that for" he asks

"Well I couldn't wake you so I decided to let analia help" I say smiling wryly

"So you decided to give me pneumonia" he says laughing

"Aw want me to kiss it better?" I say giggling

"Yes" he says leaning in to kiss me

"eeeeew, get a room" cries analia we just laugh. Then his parents walk in with a giant pink sparkly box covering their father's whole head.

"yaay" cries analia eagerly ripping the paper off of her new dress and matching necklace "oh it's beautiful, thank you mommy, and daddy I love it" she says running off to her room to change

"Oh good she liked it" says his father

"Of course she did I picked it out" says his mother jokingly

"Well you've always been good at shopping" says his father as analia runs back into the room with her new dress and necklace on

"Oh you look so pretty" I tell her

"Thank you" she says politely

"Alright kids" says his mother

"We need to get some things ready before noon so could you take analia out for a while?" she asks us

"Sure" he says and with that we're heading out the door

"Okay so where are going?" I ask

"I don't know, where do you want to go nally" says physalis

"Uh will you take me to the park" she asks excitedly

"Sure, it's your day" he tells her and so we're at the park sitting on a bench, and she's on the swing all in all a pretty good morning

"What were you dreaming last night?" I ask him

"What?" he asks startled

"I heard you say my name in your sleep, what were you dreaming?" I ask again

"Oh okay do you want the whole thing" he asks

"yes" I tell him

_I was watching the games, but it was you on screen, and you were hanging by your foot in a trap set by that evil district 2 boy he was walking toward you quickly, and you were screaming, a scream that pierced right through my heart and I could do nothing but stand here and watch I was so afraid, but then I was there with you I was trying to untie you but in couldn't, and that boy was on you, I was screaming for him to take me and leave you alone but that just made him want to get to you more, and then he pulled his sword, and pushed me into a lake_

"And then she through water at me and I was up" he says

"I'm so sorry that must have been horrible" I say

"No worse than your nightmares" he says and I know he's right we're so messed up

"But I was fine last night after you sang for me" I say

"Well then I guess I'm singing for you every night" he says smiling

"What, that's not what I meant I was just saying" I begin

"I know but if it stops the nightmares I'll sing all night" he says

"No, you do to much for me" I tell him

"Why would you say that?" he asks me

"Because it's true, I feel like I don't deserve you" I tell him "I lo-"

"Hey, it's time for my party!" cries analia successfully cutting him off

"Alright let's head home" he says looking down at the grinning child.

We walk into his house where all of analia's friends are sitting around the table waiting for her. They all jump up and hug her, "okay kids who wants to play our first game" asks his mother excitedly then a chorus of

"me" so they play some games and we sit on the couch and talk

"okay so what were you about to say in the park" I ask him

"oh just that I love you" he says blushing as red as the sunset

"why?" I ask "I mean you always try to protect me, and do everything to help me, and you keep me alive, but I never do anything but suck you dry emotionally with my nightmares, crying fits, and anything else I've put you through" I say

"are you serious, that's what you think, prim I only wish I could help you more" he says

"okay lets not be "that couple" you know that always talk about nothing but how much they love each other" I say giggling

"Okay your right, I hate those couples they make me want to puke" he says laughing as well and I lean in to kiss him

"Come play" begs analia once again interrupting us we just laugh

"Okay, we're coming" he says pulling me off the couch

"Okay for our last game we're going to play guess the number" she says bringing out a jar full of candy

"So everyone guesses how much candy is in the jar, and the winner gets to keep the whole jar" she says to the anxious 9 year olds

"Wow there must be a million candies in there" says one little girl

"Okay everyone write down your name and number on this paper and we'll see who wins" says his mother cheerfully so everyone writes down their number and a little girl wins, then its time to cut the cake.

abelia bring out the cake and cuts everyone a piece, then everyone is saying goodbye and all the kids are gone. Then we finish cleaning and all of a sudden it's time to go to the worst part of every day, the thing that haunts my nightmare, and is killing my sister, and a huge part of me.

We arrive in the square and for the first time this week I go up with physalis to sit with my mother and gale when the show begins it's once again a capitol control room "now many of our tributes are currently unconscious so we decided it was time to have a little bit more fun, and we have a few exiting occurrences up our sleeve, enjoy" he says making me want to shoot him how can this be fun for them.

We see katniss and the remaining careers stuck in a trance of poison, they're all calling out their loved ones names, screaming and looking generally in pain, they show peeta, but all we can see of him is his eyes he's so well camouflaged, and he was clearly not stung as badly because he is still awake, though he must be starving. Then we see the very large boy from district 11 in his field that he never leaves, we see him eating at some grain, when all of a sudden the earth starts shaking beneath him, and as he tries to run, to get out of this area he trips on a rock and the large sword in his belt cut through the flesh of his leg, now wounded and still in an earthquake all he could do was hold on to a tree and wait for it to end, not much else happens after that, other than that boy bandaging the cut on his leg, they end with a shot of peeta in the mud muttering katniss's name.

"Well at least she has a weapon" says gale attempting to look on the bright side, though I'm not sure this has a bright side

"Well prim let's go home" says my mother

"Okay, gale are you coming?" I ask

"Um not tonight primster, I'll see you tomorrow" he says

"Alright bye" I say, though I do get physalis to come and I see the my darling buttercup, I mean not that I haven't seen him while I was at physalis's house, just haven't spent a night with him, it will be nice living with him and lady again, though mom assures me she's kept up with lady, and I feel guilty because that wasn't supposed to be her job, and I shouldn't have thrown a fit, but there's nothing I can do about it now so I just tell her I love her and I'm off to bed though physalis says he'll stay until I fall asleep so once again he sings me to sleep

_Lay down, now your sleepy head,_

_As I rock thee gently to bed,_

_Come dream and, sail away,_

_Forget all your troubled days, _

_Silver wings come over thy bed,_

_Taking away all reasons for dread,_

_Sounds of the wretched world,_

_Seen in all of your days,_

_Led by the moonlight,_

_Are softly stripped away,_

_When you feel afraid,_

_When you lose your way,_

_Always will I find you_

_And bring your dreams anew,_

_So sleep now and know_

_Darling I'll be there,_

_Anytime, and anywhere_

_I will be there,_

_Just. For. You._

I wake still hearing the wonderful song that kept away my nightmares I open my eyes and look for him before I realize I'm back home, and life is back to "normal" well as close to normal as my life will ever be. I sit up scratch buttercup's ears, I sit up pull on a clean shirt and pair of jeans, then I go to the front door slip into my pink and black sandals, and go to milk lady.

When I enter the pen lady look up as if she's excited to see me I walk over bucket in hand, and fall gently onto the familiar stool, once I finish I just sit there petting lady before I decide that I'd better go inside if I don't want to be late, I stand up, and unlatch the door hearing the familiar squeak as I push it open. When I walk in the house mom already has breakfast made, so I just have to eat and feed buttercup before I leave, as I sit down across from my mother I am overridden with the guilt of what I've done I made my mother who'd already lost so much have to worry about me to, I am a horrible person. I'll have to find some way to make it up to her, but for now I'm late so i just grab my bag and head out into the beautiful spring day, except are there ever really any beautiful days anymore.

**hope you liked it! sorry to end on such a depressing note but it will get better in in 14! and please make my day, make me smile review! thank you, oh and i really recomend you read tributes vs vampires it's so funny! i know you may think it's going to be just stupid humor, i kind of did to but i read it and it is awsome! i mean c'mon peeta mellark and edward cullen in a cake-off! what could be funnier?**


	14. Chapter 14: the puppets

**hi readers i'm sorry this chapter is so short but it just felt like it needed to end when it did. i'm sorry. i want to thank my faithful readers/reviewers! you are what pushes me to write! i understand everyone's probabaly not finished mockingjay yet but when you do pm me i would LOVE to talk about the book with other people who understand amazing literature! luv ya suzanne collins- my insparation!**

chapter 14

the next day passes in a blur, school, home, chores, even the games offer nothing to stir emotion in me, seeing as how my sister still lies vulnerable under the poison of the capitol's mutt's. so all in all a surprisingly boring day, unfortunately i know that tomorrow won't be so "boring" because we're in the final 10 and it's been 2 whole days since the last deaths, something will happen tomorrow, but what.

"prim?" his voice brings me out of my daymares "prim are you okay?" he asks "no" i reply having given up the pretence of being "fine" and he knows i'm not okay, i also know he wants to help "ya i figured, is there anything i can do to help you" he asks i want to reply to tell him he' does more than enough for me already, but i just can't find my voice "i know it's hard, i want to help, if that means you just want a shoulder to cry on i'm here, or if it means you want me to go shoot snow, i'd be okay with that to" he says giving that wry smile that melts my heart and forces a giggle to my lips "how would you get there?" i ask smiling back at him. "i'll hijack a hovercraft" he says jokingly "well i appreciate it but i don't think your a good enough shot" i say teasingly.

"oh i'm hurt, wounded, how could you say that" he says acting as though i've physically hurt him, and i can't help but laugh. "eh your right, but hey it's the thought that counts, right" he says "yes i'm very touched that you'd kill someone for me" i say then i lean in to kiss him effectively cutting off his response "hey let's get out of here" he says "what, where are we going to go?" i ask "i don't know somewhere we can be alone" he says pulling me out he door.

we can't find anywhere to go where there won't be people eavesdropping on us, we walk until we're almost at the edge of town, in the victors village where i may, i mean will be living soon, and though every fibber of me screams not to we decide to break in, though we don't have to, because weirdly it's unlocked. we go into the cellar, which is cold and dark, and has white sheets covering the floor and walls, he removes his coat and puts it around my shoulders and we just sit there where no one can find us and we just sit together and he holds me while i have yet another emotional breakdown. i cry until i'm all dried up and have a giant head ache but he never tells me to calm down, or be strong he just wraps his arms around me protectively, and lets me get it all out. then we decide that we should go home before the peacekeepers find us.

when we get back to my house gale is sitting in the kitchen talking to my mom. "hey kids, where have you been?" asks gale eyeing physalis "none of your business" i say in my best bratty voice "it is so my business" he says "how so?" i ask "because i care about you" he says trying to sound genuine, but he can't keep a straight face "oh just be quiet gale" i giggle tossing a pillow at him "what me quiet… it's like you've never met me" he says "ya i wish" i sneer at him trying to look mean but i also can't keep a straight face and then we're both laughing.

gale gives us a turkey, 2 squirrels, and a rather fat rabbit and still has plenty left for his family, then he says he has to get home, so we say good night and then we go into my room and once again he tucks me in and sings for me… when he finishes his song i'm barely conscious "i love you" i mutter before going completely under.

_I am sitting in the arena where the careers were underneath that tree i look up and see katniss, physalis, latania, my mother and my father all up in that tree sawing at the tracker jacker nest, trying with all their might to drop it on me. as i realize this i try to run but i can't stand, can't even move, i sit there waiting for death to come by the hands of those i love most in the world. and yet as they are trying to drop the branch that will kill me i notice something off about them, i look around and see president snow sitting in a lavish chair with a slim black remote in his hands with bright red buttons each reading the name of one of the people above me, and i realize they are nothing but puppets, and then more show up and more and more until nearly every person i've ever met is in that tree, attempting to murder me, but i know they have no control they are all just puppets being controlled by the capitol. i look into their eyes and all i see are endless back pits, and then i'm falling in the darkness of katniss's eyes, as i fall i see him again with his remote only, a new name has been added and it's more prominent than the rest and it reads "Primrose Everdeen" _

i'm woken up to the quick jolt, that always ends a falling dream, the odd sensation produced when your heart skips a beat, but i'm still trying to figure out what my dream means, though i already know i just don't want to admit that I am also a puppet for the capitol, we all are_, _and i just wish i could find the knife to cut us all free of our strings, but i know i can't.

i rush through my morning activities in record time, and am out the door a full 15 minuets earlier than i need to be, because i decided i'd meet him at his house today i arrive just as he's walking out to the door "hey, I was just on my way to your house" he says "hm well i guess i win" i say he laughs "um no i'm pretty sure i win" he says "what no i got hear first" i say because i clearly win "okay but i'm the one with a beautiful girl on my door step" he says cockily "okay let's just deflate that head of you're a" i say grinning "alright, but let's go to school first" he says "fine" i say sighing and then we're off.

the morning is boring we finish reading that horrible book, and when we get to the last boy that is murdered before final 2 physalis looks like he's ready to rip the book apart, and then we get a quiz on coal miners outfits, just naming the parts, it's easy i could do it in my sleep. when, lunch rolls around we go sit in our usual place with latania and bosea, and once again it's just us since our friends are still being incredibly immature. it's fun hanging out with them i like having another couple who understands what it's like. "oh shut up you did not" shrieks latania as we tell her about our break in "no we did it was awesome!" i tell her, though all i did was cry it was still nice to be alone. "ha sweet man, never thought you'd be the first one to break the law of us" says bosea "well not first, prim still has that" he says "ya right like prim could break the law, i mean kat and gale always went hunting but you could never do that" says latania half joking "what you think i've never been with them?" i ask "hm well you rebel" she says and then we move on "hey so you guys wanna do something after school?" i ask them "ya sure" says bosea and latania together the bell goes "okay so we'll meet outside after school, cool" i say and they agree

after school we meet them right outside the classroom door we all give our greetings then we're down to what we should do "i don't know" i say "we could go to the meadow" suggests physalis "or we could we could go to the park" suggests latania "well it doesn't matter to me" says bosea "okay the park sounds good" i say because the meadow is supposed to be just ours.

we have lots of fun me ans latania let the boys push us on the swings we almost go over the bar, then the boys go on and when they both jump off and do a roll "showoffs" we both ell at them giggling "oh you know you like it" says bosea wrapping his arms arround her. "oh please i jumped way higher than you, right" says physalis also wrapping his arms around me "ya settle this like men" says latania "oh i think i know what you mean" i say smiling the boys both look at each other and yell "slide race" wow "i'm glad they're so mature" i whisper to latania.

we watch them race up the stairs to the double slide "wait let one of the girls say go_,_so it's fair" says physalis "okay, one of you say go" calls bosea "think i'll let you do that one" says latania giggling "oh sure, make me do it" i say laughing "alright, alright i'm coming_" _i call so i go stand by the bottom of the slide "wait, wait if i'm calling latania has to be the judge" i say "oh fine i'm coming" she says then we're both standing there "okay ready" i call "THREE, TWO, ONE, GO!" i scream out and they're off, it's really close so latania has to decide "sorry bosea i thnk he's got you" she says "oh ya" he says then walks over to me "see told you i win" he says and i can't help but laugh at our words this morning "oh c'mon, babe i had him" says bosea complaining about her judgement.

"sorry he definitely won" she says and he sort of pouts "aw poor baby" she says pulling him in to kiss her. "aw they're so cute together" i say "yes absolutely adorable" he says smiling at me "aw don't worry your cuter than him" i whisper he just laughs. I think this is the most fun I've had in what seems like forever, but then i have the hunger games to ruin my life "hey i know it's the last thing you want to do right now but we've got to go" he says "ya i know" i say.

we go into our seats and wait for the show to begin. katniss is awake again but so are the careers, katniss is walking through the forest, with little rue practically on her heals, but she's so quiet even katniss doesn't know she's there, they show peeta completely eaten by the river bed_. _the careers, now with a fresh hate for my sister, are sharpening their weapons, and having an argument about who gets the honour of killing her "i'm doing it!" shouts the girl from 2 "no i am, she killed glimmer" yells the boy from 1 "NO I'M KILLING HER AND THAT'S FINAL" bellows the giant boy from 2 "fine cato but give the audience a show" says the girl pouting "no problem,there" he says, then we see katniss shooting harrows into a tree for practise, she kills a squirrel and some weird bird, that i couldn't name then rue who's been watching from behind a tree snaps a branch and gives herself awayat first i think katniss will send an arrow through her brain, but then she says "you know their no the only ones who can make an alliance" it takes a minuet for rue to come out and they team up, but it won't be a very long alliance and i keep telling myself that this girl has to die for my sister to come home. the careers hunt through the night but don't find them up in their tree talking about destroying the food supply, and i think this is a great idea, they could starve them out. then they show the other tributes sleeping, just to assure us they're alive, and then the screen is black.

"well that was…interesting" says our mother "more like stupid" says gale "why?" i ask "oh face it she'll never be able to kill that little girl she's just like prim" says gale a little louder than necessary "then again she'll never be able to kill lover boy, either" says gale not attempting to hide the venom in his voice. "gale don't talk like that, besides she may not even have to" i mutter "what!, what do you know prim" he asks me "well nothing for sure" i say "okay so what are you unsure of" he says "i can't tell you" i say "prim you have to tell me!" he says raising his voice at me "i know, just not here" i say "fine the second we step in your door" he nearly growls at me, i've never seen gale like this and i can't help but wonder if it's because she's in danger or something else.

before i even have a chance to open the door i have gale's strong arms turning me to face him "prim please you have to tell me" he says returning to the old gale "okay" i say and tell him what haymitch said about a possibility of 2 victors gale just sits down, head in his hands and i think he might actually be crying, so i decide to give him some privacy "hey, lets go call" i say to physalis "okay, sounds good" he says.

when we get to the city hall we grab the phone and dial 6 once more "hello" says haymitch and i think he may actually be sober "hi" i say weakly "oh it's the idiots intelligent sister" he says "don't talk about my sister like that" i say through my teeth "well what would you call it even if the kid could help her, you know she won't be able to kill her" he growls using the exact words that gale did "she won't have to" i say "someone else will find her or maybe peeta will be able to" i say "oh please if he makes it out he will be the first victor to have never murdered someone" he says "though peeta's stunt definitely put the capitol over the top every citizen is upset and not even enjoying the deaths witch is not good for them" says haymitch giving a throaty laugh "so their going to change it" i ask excitedly "not officially no, but they would if katinss would give something back" he scoffs "ya i wish there was someway to let her know that" i say "well your guess is as good as mine" he says "anyway how much has district 12 managed to get for our beloved tributes?" asks haymitch and then it's all business.

GALE

no this is horrible it was bad enough when i thought i was going to lose her but now, now no matter what i lose her because even if she comes back she'll come back with frieken bread boy, she'll never be mine, who was i kidding she'd never be mine anyway even before the games every boy in 12 is in love with her, she could have had any boy she wanted, but now she'll have him, katniss MY katniss who hunts and breaks the rules and hates the capitol and defies them every day will be with the merchants son, the baker, the "boy with the bread" she's talked about on occasion. and all of a sudden i find myself hating this boy this "peeta mellark" i whisper under my breath and his name feels like acid on my tongue. I should have done it volunteered taken his place, to protect her, then we could be the star crossed lovers forcing a new rule on the gamemakers, but she would have hated me for it, no my job is to make sure our families are fed and safe,it wouldn't have worked anyway i'm not good at the mushy gushy love stuff, but why should he get her i mean sure he says he's in love with her but so is everybody, even the capitol fell for her. i just want my katniss, even though i know that can never happen, no matter what for her protection i have to

give her to the bakers son, oh well at least she'll be alive. i think bitterly.

i'm just turning the door knob when i notice he hasn't said one word the entire walk "what's wrong?" i ask him "hu oh nothing" he says unconvincingly "i know you better than that, pleases tell me" i say "i was just thinking about phalaris" he says solomly and it takes me a minuet to realize who this is because i've never heard his brothers name before. "oh i'm so sorry i din't mean to" "no it's okay,you couldn't have known" he says we sit on the step and alk about it "so did he make it to final 10" i ask hoping that talking about it might help "ya he made it to final 3, then the 2 careers left found him, and.." he trails off "do you want to know why i hated that book so much?" he asks "why?" i ask "gloss killed my brother,then he killed the girl from his district, then he became victor and then my life changed forever." he says i can't think of anything to say so i just sit beside him and let him vent, like he does so often for me. "he didn't just kill him he did it so slowly and painfully, when we burried him he was completely cut up and destroyed, we could barely recognize him it was horrible" he says breaking down almost to tears.

"and now i'm breaking down about something that happened years ago , and i should be comforting you not the other way around." he says "what do you mean, i think it's your turn" i say smiling at him "i think we should get inside before they think i kidnapped you" he says i giggle and we're inside "oh your finally home" says gale "what did haymitch say" he asks "not much just that if kat would show she's in love to they would have to make the new rule" i say "then i hope she does" he says it's late so i go into my room with him and he sings like always, and i'm half unconscious when i mutter "no, don't leave me" he leans down and whispers in my ear "never"

**okay i know waaay cheesy but what can i say i'm a romantic! i hope you liked my gale, i loove peeta so i'm trying to get into gale's mind and understand his thoughts, if i did a horrible job tell me and i won't do him anymore :) pleeeease review even if you do nothing but rip on it just let me know i have people reading it! PLEASE i luv you all!**


	15. Chapter 15: the interview

**hello my faithfull readers i don't believe i'm at chapter 15! i hope you enjoy my newest chapter!**

chapter 15

"Prim, prim, PRIM" my teacher has to yell to get my attention

"Yes ms.E" I say guiltily

"Are you even listening," she asks

"Uh, not really" I admit

"Okay so what is so important that it requires all of our attention, ms. everdeen" she inquires

"You've got to be kidding me" I say getting mad

"I assure you I'm not now please share with the class"

"Okay, fine" I say standing up "alright so class I'm very sorry that I was not listening, to yet another lecture on coal, I can't possibly think of anything in my life more important. Except if maybe I don't know my sister was about to DIE" I shout because I just can't hold it in any more, I'm tired of being quiet I'm tired of saying I'm fine! When I'm not. I run out of the class room.

I sit on a the school steps and just cry, until I hear foot steps behind me, and then physalis and latania are sitting beside me "it's okay, it's okay" coos latania

"No it's not!" I yell at her

"it is, it will be okay" she insists

"Explain to me now how this is going to be okay" I say exasperated at this point

"She'll, well you'll-" she stutters

"prim, come here, I know, I know" he says taking me in his arms

"I know that you do just, how did you handle it without completely losing your mind" I ask him

"I got mad, I would go into my room and just scream, or I would go punch trees until my knuckles were bloody and raw" he says showing me the tiny scar on his left hand that I never noticed before

"In comparison I think yelling at a stupid instigating insensitive teacher is a better way to cope" he says

After some talking and what feels like hours of crying, I've composed myself enough to go back into class. I walk in and face the teacher

"I hope you are over your childish temper tantrum, ms everdeen" says the teacher seething venomously and I almost start crying again, why does she have to be so mean physalis leans in and whispers

"I'm sorry" before attacking the teacher "okay, so how did you feel when your sister was in the games,huh" he asks, and I realize he said he was sorry because we are going to be in so much trouble

"I don't know what you mean" she says visibly squirming

"yes you do, your sister was 12 you were 17 you could have saved her as katniss did for prim, that's why you're giving her such a hard time." he says and I think this is as angry as I've seen him. The room is so silent you could hear a feather drop

"both of you principals office NOW!" shouts the teacher.

"I'm so sorry that I got you in trouble I didn't want to I just..lost it" he says staring at the ground

"I don't think I've seen you that mad" I say

"I know I just couldn't see her treat you like that" he says earnestly

"I love you, do you know that" I say smiling wildly at him

"Well I had my suspicions" he says grinning back.

"So why don't you tell me what happened" asks our principal so physalis proceeds to tell him exactly what happened

"I know I shouldn't have, sir but she was hurting prim so much" he says looking sad and since I've been crying the entire time we definitely have the emotional card on our side.

"well kids, I've heard both sides of the story and I since you are first time offenders, and in such a delicate situation" he ads glancing toward me "I think I can let you off with a warning, just go back to class, and ignore the teacher, Kay" he says cheerfully

"okay thank you, sir" we both say

"oh and prim can you give this to your mother" he says pulling an envelope out from his pocket

"yes, thank you" I say and then we are going back to class.

After school we go straight to my house, so I can change and get cleaned up, seeing as how I fell in a giant puddle on the way home, "geeze I'm such a klutz" I mutter drying my long blonde hair, the letting it just fall lose down my back

"Your not a klutz, just distracted" he says

"Oh aren't you a charmer" I say playfully tossing a pillow at him

"ow, hey foul play" he says picking me up and throwing me over his shoulder

"Ah let me go" I say though I'm laughing so much I don't think he knows what I'm saying. Then gale walks in and makes a sound I can only describe as a growl physalis puts me down and his face wipes clean of emotion

"H-hi gale" he stutters gale just grunts

"well he's in a good mood" I say bitterly.

"we have to go, kids" calls mom from the kitchen. So I twist the knob, and walk out into the humid air.

we take our seats just as the screen lights up. katniss and rue have a brilliant plan to destroy the food, it has to work, we see rue lighting her second fire, the careers see the smoke and assume it's katniss, they all get sharp deadly weapons, and then they are fighting about if the boy from three should come, they decide he should, few it will be easier for katniss that way

"Look when we find her I kill her MY WAY" rumbles the monster from 2

"Something tells me he's not talking about rue" I whisper to physalis he just nods his head tersely. then the splits into 2 screens one showing rue and the other katniss, rue is running and hiding in a tree, the careers are so close now they find her fire and then they lose it cursing, and throwing a fit. I'm so intrigued by that I almost miss katniss being blown back by land mines, she's not in good shape but the food's gone and she's okay, but the best part is when the careers come back they are livid some of the more resonate ones are just looking through to see if there is anything useable, but cato rips at his hair, and pounds his fists it's funny really, until he put two and two together then turns on the boy from 3 and snaps his neck with one powerful twist of his enormous arms, and just like that we're down to the final 9.

After the show a voice booms out from where I can only guess "would the everdeen, and mellark families please report to the city hall" it commands, and I'm not about to object, so we make our way to the mayor's house when we arrive we go sit in a lush room on couches made of deep red velvet pointing towards a large television screen. Then a video starts playing and it's…. Effie trinket, wow I'm confused

"Hello" she says we just stare "your not even going to say hello, how rude!" she says

"Wait you can hear us" I ask

"Of course I can I'm not deaf, prim" she says

"How do you know my name?" I ask

"Oh please everyone in panem knows your name, now that's not what I wanted to talk about" she says

"Okay so what do you want to talk about?" asks peeta's older brother, rye

"Well as you know, your tributes have made the final 9!" she says excitedly

"So we are taping the interviews tomorrow" she says

"Wait I thought the interviews happened at final 8" says peeta's other brother

"We air them at 8 but tape them now, so we can have them edited and ready by final 8, because one of our tributes could be gone by morning, so we will be sending stylists and camera crews" she says

"So that means kids will not be going to school tomorrow, and your stylists will be at your houses at 6:30 to prepare you for when caesar arrives at 10:00" she instructs us

"Okay" we all say

"Oh also if you could tell me who is katniss, and peeta's best friend" she asks

"Oh well that's easy, peeta's best friend is cobeal whitly" says rye.

"And katniss's is definitely gale hawthorne" I say pointing to gale

"Oh no, that simply won't do" she says under her breath "well good night, and good luck" she says and just like that the screen goes black.

We are just leaving when I hear a voice behind me "prim there's someone on the phone for you, from the capitol" says madge in hushed tones

"Okay, thanks madge" I say and go to the phone

"Hello" I say

"Prim?" asks haymitch's rough voice

"ya, what's wrong" I ask

"Look you have to do something about gale" he says

"What about gale?" I ask

"He's to… well gale katniss can't be friends with mr. Muscle if she's in a romance with peeta" he says hurriedly

"Okay I'll think of something" I say

"Oh and also talk about how much katniss has always liked peeta, and just lay it on even if it's not true, okay" he instructs

"okay I will" I assure him and then the line get's cut off.

"Hey what was that all about" asks Physalis and gale together

"I need to talk to you when we get home" I say

"Okay" they say together. We get home and right away the boys are on me

"Okay what's going on" demands gale

"he just told me to tell them that she's always liked peeta and just assure the capitol and stuff, nothing big" I say

"Oh" is all he says "well um I should get home" he says and with that he's out the door

"Mom he actually said we have to do something about gale, because he's to well you know gale for her to be having a romance with peeta" I say

"Oh I see okay, wait I have an idea I'll be back in a little while" she says running out the door

"And then there were 2" Physalis says from across the room

"Well that's not so bad" I say smiling at him

"No it's definitely not" he says

"So what do you want to do?" he asks

"Absolutely nothing" I tell him sitting down on the couch.

"Sounds good to me" he says sitting beside me, I feel totally and completely safe wrapped in his arms, and drift into oblivion.

I'm gently jostled awake "prim,prim" his sweet voice calls out

"Mm what" I say groggily

"I know it's early, love but your stylists are going to be here in 5 minuets" he says

"Okay I'm getting up" I say and sure enough the minuet I finish getting dressed there are three quick raps on the door and three strange looking people bustle through the door a woman with green skin, a man with purple lips, and a lady with weird tattoos on her eyes

"Hi prim!" they squeak "we're your prep team I'm octavia, this is venia and flavius" she says

"We loved working with your sister and I'm sure we'll love working with you" trills venia I just smile and nod

"Okay so we are preparing three of you today right" asks flavius

"Um I think so" I say suddenly wondering how my mom fixed the gale problem.

"Well we have hear that caesar will be interviewing kaniss's mother, sister, and cousin slash best friend" trills octavia

"What cousin?" I ask knowing we have no living cousins

"Uh…. gale hawthorne" she says. Oh that's how mom fixed it, telling everyone he's our cousin, oh that's brilliant!

"Oh right I just didn't know which one but I should have guessed gale their best friends" I say enthusiastically

"So three interviewees per tribute" I ask

"Well three full interviews, we will be getting odd comments from people the tributes know, however in the case of mr. mellark we will interview his parents together, and his brothers together, then one of his best friends, so his prep team has a lot of work, so does portia!" she squeals

"Well we have a bath for you prim so hop in and we'll begin" squeaks flavius

"Prim I've got to get to school" says physalis from the corner of the room

"Oh I'll miss you" I say "I'll be back as soon as the bell rings" he assures me.

And just like that I'm alone with these three. since mom is just getting out of her bath and is undoubtedly in our room awaiting "preparation". I go into the bathroom and slip into the tub just as the two ladies walk in and put goo in my hair, shave me, and just take me back to "beauty base zero". Once I'm out they start with my makeup putting on powder and lipgloss and eyeshadow, they do my nails, when their done I don't even recognize myself.

"Oh I wish cinna would let us do your hair it's so beautiful" says vein longingly

"well cinna wants it to match the outfit" says flavius.

"Well cinna will be hear soon, we must get over to your cousins house and begin work on him!" they say exiting the house. Sure enough a few minuets later a man walks in who can only be the brilliant cinna, holding two garment bags "Hello, prim" he says smiling brightly and he doesn't look weird like the rest of them

"Hello" I say back politely

"Well I'm just going to go give your mother her outfit, then I want to start on your hair" he says, exiting the room

…..

"Okay I'm back, let's get started" he says

"Alright" I say

"So why don't you, take a seat and I'll go to work on that gorgeous head of hair you've got there" he says making me blush. He has some sort of odd thing that opens when you push down on a little handle, he puts it in my hair and it curls, wow that's amazing! He notices my shock

"It's called a curling iron" he says smiling. When he finishes curling all my hair he takes the top of it and pins it back, so that half of it is up, and the other half falls down in perfect ringlets.

"Wow it's amazing," I say admiring my hair in the mirror

"You think that's great, wait until you see your outfit" he says

"Should I be scared?" I ask smiling

"No, no we couldn't burn you" he Says,

"Oh good so no flames" I ask

"Oh I didn't say that I just said no real flames, your still the girl on fire's sister" he says dreamily

I walk into my room, unzip the garment bag and gasp it's beautiful, in such a simple and elegant way, a light pink spaghetti strapped sundress, that fits tightly, and hugs my curves, with flame accents in jewels going half way up, in a flame pattern just like on katniss's interview dress, a choker necklace of rare precious stones that match the dress, and matching ballet flats, I pull it on over my head and find that it just barely comes to my knees.

I walk out of the room and stand in front of cinna "stunning, absolutely stunning" he murmurs

"Thank you" I say blushing

"You would have been an excellent girl on fire" he says going back to that dreamy tone

"hm what am I saying, sorry prim, the audience will absolutely love you I promise" he says smiling

"I hope so I have a lot to convince them of" I whisper.

"I know" he says "

Wait, what, you do" I say shocked that he knows the secret

"Well, yes katniss confided in me and I understand, but she could save both of their lives" he says grimly "and you can help her a lot just by what you say in your interview"

"But no pressure right" I say giggling.

"I know you'll be great, and don't be afraid to cry," he says winking at me. Then his pants beep and he pulls out a small black object looks at it and frowns

"Oh dear it seams your cousin is not reacting well to his outfit, I'll be back" he says walking out the door.

Then mom walks out looking as beautiful as I've ever seen her "wow hunny you look beautiful" she says taking in my new appearance, then there's another knock on the door, and an entire camera crew comes in, as well as the legendary caesar flickerman.

"Hello prim" he greets me cheerfully, it's really weird having all these people I've never met knowing who I am,

"i caesar" I say as sweetly as possible

"Well don't you look just lovely" he says

"Thank you" I say smiling

"Well let's not waste time, we would like to start with your mother, then your cousin gale and then you" he says

"Okay I'll go get my mom and see where gale is" I say trying to be helpful.

Mom walks in just as I say this, so I just sneak out to go find gale. Since it's the middle of the day there is no one around, so I merely walk across the seam to the hawthorne's house I knock and gale answers

"gale they want you soon" I say

"ya i know I'm just not wearing that damn fire suit he's trying to force me into" says gale pointing to cinna

"Gale I'm sure you'll look great just put it on and do the interview, for katniss" I say playing on his emotions

"Fine" he grumbles and goes to change

"Wow, so I've been here for an hour and my team 2 before that, but you walk in say 16 words and he's changing, I'm impressed" he says

"But you came outside now I have to fix your hair because of the wind" just then gale walks out looking stunning in a black suit with flame accents made of jewels just like my dress

"See it looks great" I say

"Let's go" is all he says. The prep team and cinna are ahead of us and gale starts talking

"I don't care what it looks like it's who made it, one of them" he says

"Hey Cinna's not so bad and he made sponsors recognize them, cinna gave them a chance" I say

"who cares, they sent her to die, and now I'm in they're clothes"

we return just as mom is finishing up her interview "well thank you natalia everdeen, next we will hear from katniss's cousin and best friend Gale hawthorne" says caesar excitedly, and then someone yells

"CUT!" and the cameras stop.

"well mr hawthorne take a seat and we'll get started" he says. I want to watch his interview and make sure he behaves

"prim come into the bedroom so i can fix your hair" says cinna from behind me

"okay"

Once my hair is done I walk out and see gale's interview coming to an end

"thank you Gale hawthorne, next we are speaking to the person who brought katniss into the games, her sister Primrose everdeen" he says almost peeing his pants I hate that, him saying it's my fault, I'm a horrible person it is all my fault I go take my seat and wait for the camera to start rolling.

"Hello Prim, I'm just going to ask you some questions, so we can get your opinion and then we'll be done I promise we'll have some fun!" he says smiling at me and I just smile back.

"So prim tell us what you think about your sister making it to the top 8!" he asks

"I'm not surprised at all I know how strong katniss is and I know that she will win" I say confidently, "well actually I know she'll make final 2 but I know she won't be able to kill peeta" I say sadly

"Oh yes what do you think of your sister's romance" he asks

"I know that katniss and peeta have liked each other since they were 11 maybe even before that!" I say

"Is that when they met" he asks

"well that's a long story, do you want to hear it" I ask

"of course we love long stories" he says anticipating my words

So I tell him of that night with the bread and I am almost crying for real by the time I finish

"Oh my what a story these children really love each other" he says

"They do" I confirm though I have no idea how she feels about him.

"So why don't you tell us how you felt when katniss volunteered for you" he asks hitting the one thing that could de rail me.

"Well I was terrified I didn't want to lose my sister I love her so much, and I would do anything for her, and knowing that she was doing this to protect me" and I can't hold it in anymore I start crying "I just- want- m-my s-s-sister back" I say through sobs

"Oh I'm sure you will" he says trying to comfort me.

"Well just one final question?" he asks

"Okay" I say

"if you could give us one word to describe your sister, what would it be" he asks

"Oh that's a hard one just one word?" I ask

"yes just one" he says

"I'm going to have to go with inextinguishable" I say thinking how perfect it is since she is the girl on fire

"And why is that" he says

"Because katniss will not back down, she will not be quieted, she will stand for what she believes in and she will fight" I say

"Well I think we're all impressed by your vocabulary" he says laughing "any last thoughts primrose?" he asks

"I just want to say that before she left my sister made a promise to me that she will come home, and katniss does not break her promises, so she will be victorious" I say confidently

"Okay thank you very much primrose everdeen" he says "now this concludes our interviews for katniss, next we will hear from Peeta Mellark's friends and family" he says and the camera is turned off.

"Well thank you very much primrose, unfortunately we do have to go" he says hustling out the door.

"You were perfect prim, truly wonderful!" says cinna

"You think?" Y ask

"Absolutely!" he assures me this makes me feel better.

"Thank you so much" I say

"Oh please keep the dress" he says

"Are you sure, it's so beautiful" I say admiring it

"Well of course it's your size and I made it for you" he says

"Well, thank you so much" I say

"Your welcome" he says curtly

"My Apologies, but I really must get back home" he says

"Okay well I hope I see you again" I say and we both know that it's because if I see him again it means she lived

"I'm sure you will" he says walking out the door.

**i hope you enjoyed it please please please leave a review i feel soooo much more motivated everytime i get a review! so i write faster! thank you very much!**


	16. Chapter 16: the new rule

**hello readers i don't have a lot to say... enjoy my chapter!**

chapter 16

I'm not sure how long I sit on the couch before the door opens "hey, how'd it-wow you look" he pauses "amazing" he finishes

"Oh thanks" I say looking down at my dress

"I guess I should go change" I say

"you don't have to" he says

"hm thanks, but I don't wanna get it dirty" I say retreating to the bedroom where I slip into something more casual.

"So how was school, did I miss a lot" I ask

"Educationally no, but you did miss another bitchisode by our teacher" he says bitterly

"Oh no what did she do" I ask fearing the worst

"well, near the end of the day the teacher asked if anyone could take you your homework" he starts hesitantly

"I can handle it" I assure him

"well, then she said

"oh you her grief manager" and then I asked her what that was supposed to mean" he continues "then she said a lot of things that were… well just horrible" he says

"No really I can handle it please you have to tell me" I beg him

"okay, but just remember that you asked" he says

"she said that you weren't handling things the way you should that here in district 12 we should just accept the tributes death and, I'm sorry about this next part… "get the hell over it and stop being such a baby, and that, that I should stop being your security blanket, and that it would be better if everyone especially me would just stop encouraging your hope" he barely chokes out as though each horrible thing our teacher said was a knife in his side.

"I-I don't believe that sh-she w-would s-s-s-say th-that" i stutter "i know she's horrible" he says sitting next to me and taking me into his arms "but the worst part is what i said to her" he says "oh no you shouldn't have gotten yourself in trouble" i tell him because i don't want him to worry "are you kidding, have you met me, you know i could never just bite my tongue" he says grinning widely.

"Okay, what did you say" I ask hoping it wasn't to bad

"Well I said that just because she couldn't save her sister she didn't have to be bitter and that you were the example of how a tributes family should act, and I told her that we weren't going to give up just because she did and then I asked her why she always has to pick on us and single us out and asked why she's a teacher if she hates kids" he says and my heart flips and sinks at the same time.

"You didn't have to do that" I say

"yes" he says lifting my head so our eyes connect "I did, prim, and not for me, not even for you, but for every family member of every tribute in history, who had someone tell them to give up, or stop believing, or just accept it" he says drawing from his own experience.

"Thank you" I whisper "you are so sweet" I tell him "how did a girl who is always crying and acting depressed end up with a boy sweeter than the candy he makes" I say smiling

"Guess you got really lucky" he says smiling cockily I just laugh.

"So after all that did you bring me my homework" I ask

"Oh ya here you go" he says reaching into his bag and un crinkling the sheets of paper before handing them to me.

"Thank you I say getting up to grab a pencil.

When I return I start working but really why, what does it matter I know my future if katniss wins I will die in the hunger games, because if there is a relative of the victor they are always chosen, so I suppose if she wins I will probably be sent to death, and if she does die then I will either fall into a downward spiral of depression and go crazy like annie cresta or be a healer like my mother, or who knows in a perfect world maybe I'll marry him, and we can run the sweets shop together, and I love this idea, though I hate the idea that I can only have my happily ever after if my sister… dies in that arena, but no I refuse to believe that she will win and I will be safe, and we can all have our happily ever after….. Only is there ever a happy in district 12?

We come into the square and go immediately to sit on the plush chairs at the front reserved for us we see gale walking towards us from across the district, and all of a sudden I'm wondering how his interview went, if he did what he was supposed to, i hope he just put on a smiling face and lied through his teeth like the rest of us. i can't help but ask "how was your interview?" I ask sweetly, though he sees right through it, he knows what I mean.

"geeze your just like katniss, don't worry I was a good boy for the cameras" he says

"good" is all I can say.

Late last night the boy from 10 was murdered by the hand of the careers this is how we begin and then we just see katniss sitting in a tree eating her kills and waiting for little rue to show up, but little does she know rue had a little trouble, she never got to her third fire because the careers all saw the smoke from her second and she heard them coming so she took to hiding. The careers, now coming across the fire search eagerly for fresh blood, but much to their dismay they find no one. By midday katniss gets tired of waiting and searches for rue, while she walks we get to see thresh in his bushes eating grain, and peeta in his bank slowly, dying, and the girl from 5 in her cave eating sponsor food she managed to get, and we see all the awful things the arena has to offer.

We see rue slowly walking along the forest floor then a piercing scream that makes my blood run cold, as she is trapped in a net, katniss runs but she's to late the spear is already on it's way to this little girl's stomach, I look away because I can't handle it, all I can think of is that girl, who is the same age as me, who could very well have been me and how her life was yanked out from under her like a rug, how unfair it is, how horrible it is and all I can see is her laughing, smiling, and how she will never do so again,

I look back just in time to see the boy from one being lifted from the arena, then katniss sits and comforts, the young child as she dies, then katniss sings for her a voice so beautiful every bird stops, and listens just like her father. Then they take the cameras away for a moment and show us nothing in particular until rue's body is lifted from the arena covered in flowers, and I know who did this, because I know my sister.

She walks off in random direction over taken with grief she shoots a squirrel as she walks then she sets a fire begging to be found though no one comes, probably because there is only 6 left, she receives a gift from district 11, a loaf of bread, meant for rue but sent to katniss as a thank you, as a payment of debt. She goes into a tree and attempts to sleep, though she's awoken by the trumpets and then it happens, what we've been waiting for, working for the game changing announcement that 2 tributes can survive. I am ecstatic, I am electrified, I am joyous, I am stunned, I am angry why should I be happy that 2 can live 24 should live, though this could never happen.

Everybody stands up, but the show is not over yet, now they are showing the interviews I guess they weren't expecting 3 deaths so they have only six tributes to show, I guess that's better. The two tributes from 2 are pretty much the same cocky overconfident families sure they're children will return, the girl from 5 has family and friends as quiet as her so we still learn almost nothing about her, the large boy from 11 has an interesting family just a sister and grandmother, he also had a best friend they're interviews are truly touching. though nothing compared to what district 12 has up their sleeves.

peeta's father is as good with words as he is, and talks about how his son has been talking about the famous katniss everdeen since 5, his brothers praise his strength how he would have won the school tournament if rye wasn't in school.

When asked about katniss they just say we've been hearing about katniss everdeen basically since he was born and that they hope it works out, though katniss is waaaay to good for him, pipes his oldest brother and then they're laughing.

And his friend cobeal is quiet but intelligent talking of how peeta will not make it back because he will not kill katniss, though the new rule makes it possible for both of them.

Our mother talks about how strong katniss is how brave, how she took care of us when our father died, and when asked about peeta she merely says peeta is a wonderful young man and my daughter is completely in love with him though she thinks they are to young. Gale is strictly script he talks of katniss and her strength, that she's a fighter, and when asked of peeta merely says

"if he doesn't treat my cousin right I'll find his my to the arena, and take care of bread boy myself" then he flashes his perfect smile and you can practically hear the girls swoon in the crowd. My interview is okay until my story, that is truly touching, at least I thought so, and when I started crying about katniss I think that might have made even the heartless capitol come to my side. Then when I describe my sister as Indistinguishable I've made her strong, and iId say my interview was a success.

**please,please,please review i will not be posting chapter 17 until i have 10 more reviews, mwahahahaha i'm so evil, and i am planning on starting a new story soon if you want to know what it's about... read it! :P yay i hope you do, i love you all!**


	17. Chapter 17:first fight

  
i

**hello readers! I really do appolagize, for the wait, but thank you for being patient! cyber cookies for patience (::) (::) (::) (::), sorry I've been babysitting alot (wich explains late update and the freaky cyber cookies! :P) that's okay everyone knows the weirdest authors are the best ones :P lol so enjoy...**

Chapter 17

I'm sitting in my desk just starring out the window as usual, when the intercom comes on "will primrose everdeen please report to the office, that's primrose eveerdeen to the office" says the secretary.

"Well you'd better go" says our teacher meanly so I rise from my seat and leave the classroom.

I brace myself as I walk in the door marked MR.D BLOOM, PRINCIPAL "Prim, come in, please sit, sit" I go sit in one of the chairs facing him "well, miss Everdeen we know that your going through a rough time, what with your sister and all, so we feel it would be best if you were to take some time for yourself" he says. Translation your a mess.

"Oh, well I suppose I could use some time" I say looking at the floor.

"So we want you to just go home, relax and take some time for yourself" he says

"Okay, thank you, sir" I say and walk out of his office

I return to the classroom briefly, grab my bag write a quick note explaining to physalis, put it on his desk and head out into the summer breeze. When I get home I find mother in the kitchen looking over her apothecary supplies with a frown.

"What's wrong, mom" I ask

"I should be asking you that, why are you ditching school" she asks so I explain what happened.

"So what's wrong with you" I ask

"Oh we're just running low on some things" she says

"Gale is brining us plenty of herbs, but we could use some bandages" she tells me and I know the only place to get those at a good price, but I'm afraid to go in there

"Um, I can go to the hob" I offer

"Oh hunny you don't have to do that" she says

"No I don't mind I've been there before, right" I say not mentioning that katniss was always there

"Well if you don't mind" she says hesitantly

"I don't, what should I take?" I ask

"well gale's been sort of upset" she starts

"say no more" I say heading to where we keep the game, and wow! Was gale ever upset there is so much meat in there, we could eat for 2 weeks! I put almost all of it in the fridge so it keeps, then grab the game bag with the remaining meat and head out the door.

Standing there in front of this building is scary, this illegal black market, I take a deep breath and walk through the door. It's not so bad the people seem to be nice enough and I get good prices, it's probably because of katniss, plus gale really has good shots. A middle-aged man walks up to me

"You shoot almost as well as your sister" he comments

"Oh no I didn't shoot these gale did I'm just making the trade is all" I say smiling

"Oh ya we haven't seen him round here much" he says

"ya he's been busy" is all I say and then he walks away, and I walk out.

I close the door behind me, hearing the familiar click and walk into the kitchen "here you go" I say plopping the bandages on the counter

"Oh thank you so much, prim, were you okay" she asks concerned

"ya mom I was fine, katniss goes in there all the time and she's fine" I say

"Well katniss is older than you" she says

"I can handle it, don't worry" I assure her

"I know you can" she says. "so what do you want for dinner" she asks

"There were some nice rabbits in that bag, we could make a stew" I suggest

"Sounds good" she says.

We are finishing our dinner around the time that school would be out so I'm not at all surprised when physalis and gale walk in the door together "hi boys" I say smiling at them

"hi" they say in unison. We don't have long until we must leave, to go watch the bane of my existence.

It all seems to go by so quickly, katniss waking up, going in search of peeta, the careers, or at least what's left of them- (the two from district 2), thresh in his field that he never leaves, and meena in her cave, sly as ever it's actually dare I say it sort of dull….until…until YES, yes she's so close she almost has him

"here to finish me off, sweetheart" asks peeta from the muck

"Peeta" she asks, and then before you know it she has him all clean and healed….. for the most part his leg is pretty bad, and I think I might see the first signs of blood poisoning, oh no if it is he'll be dead within the week, but maybe I'm just paranoid…..maybe. They make it up the stream and into a cave that katniss does her best to conceal. They finally have their first kiss, and then they receive some food and the arena goes still, as the screen turns black.

Though it's a bit on the later side, me and physalis go off on our own, since it's mid summer the sun is just setting leaving the sky full of beautiful pinks, and blues. We go to our meadow, and sit on the rocks. For a long while we say nothing, because what is there to say.

"Are you…..okay?" he asks

"ya, I'm fine" I say really just wanting my sister

"geeze what's with you and your sister always falling for boys who are beneath them"

He says dead serious "are you kidding me" I ask

"No how do two of the strongest, most intelligent, beautiful girls in the whole world end up with to wimpy boys from town" he says, and honestly he just described katniss not me at all.

"You and peeta are not wimpy" I say

"no, your right, peeta lifts 100 pound bags of flour, and basically winning the school wrestling tournament, and he's good with a knife…guess that just leaves me" he says looking at his feet.

"Why, are you saying that, don't put yourself down" I tell him

"I'm not I'm just realizing that I….I'm not good enough for you, you deserve better" he says making me upset

"What, why, why are you saying that?" I ask confused, and afraid.

"Because, prim" he says kneeling beside me, and gently taking my head in his hands "it's true, you need someone better than me, and I care to much about you to allow you to have second best, so I'm sorry, but I should probably…." he says sincerely and he's making no sense

"No, stop right now stop talking" I instruct him, he obliges "you stop that now! Your being ridiculous, I swear if you leave now or ever I will turn into a hopeless mess honestly don't give me any lines I need you to tell me, do YOU want to be done with me because I know that I'm not good enough for you" I tell him angrily, but really masking fear.

"No, that's not what I meant not at all, it's just you could have any boy, in district 12, so I guess I just don't understand why you chose me" he says sounding almost confused.

"You have no idea how selfish I am, I need you, I need you to protect me, comfort me, help me, you understand me" I say and this is all just so intense!

"Oh so my rugged manliness and good looks are just a bonus" he says grinning sarcastically

"yes, exactly" I say and then we're done with our first fight, we walk back to my house and he sings me to sleep

_Golden slumber kiss your eyes,_

_Smiles await you when you rise._

_Sleep,_

_pretty child,_

_Do not cry,_

_And I'll sing you a lullaby. _

_Care you know not,_

_Therefore sleep,_

_While I your watch I do keep._

_Sleep,_

_pretty darling,_

_Do not cry,_

_And I will sing a lullaby._

_lay your head, close your eyes_

_I wrap you in my love_

_you, my beautiful dove_

_sleep, now_

_no need to ask why_

_and i will sing a lullaby_

_the last thing I think of is how much I love him, and then drift into a dreamless sleep. thank the lord._

**woooow intense right, I figured they'd have some bumps along, I have something to share: this week I recieved the nicest, sweetest, most awsome review ever! on my poem "at death's gate" and honestly, the first thing I did was open that poem and think of how i could improve it or write another one. so review i write faster, honestly! thank you**_  
_


	18. Chapter 18: love poisining

**okay reader here's the dealio all I remembered that since physalis is not an actual charector, and so not in the next 2 books obviously, I'm not ure what to do with him, since we're drawing near our end, I wanted your oppinions pleease you would really be halping me out, you can leave suggestions in a review or you can pm me! or if ya'll are fine with just ending it happy, and forgiving that he's not in the econ book you can let me know that to, thanx! **

chapter 18

RING the bell goes, but we're still running we're so close but still late,the teacher already hates us, and after I took yesterday off, even though it was at principal request.

"Sorry" he says sheepishly

"S'okay I mean if someone's gonna hate you might as well give them good reason, right" I say smiling

"Right" he agrees smiling back, so I grab his hand and we run to the front door, we walk into the creaky old door and go see the young woman behind the front desk "hi, ms. yano, um we were running a little late" I say in my best sweet voice

"Alright I'll mark you as here, now go on to class" she says, but I can hear the pity in her voice.

We walk through the doorway and try not to alert the teacher, but she hears us when we walk on a loose board "well thank you for joining us" says ms. crab, oops I mean E

"Your welcome" says physalis from behind me, and I can't help but laugh, did I ever tell you I love him? The teacher turns back to the board and we take our seats, ignoring the looks she gives us.

We manage to get through the day relatively unscathed, no huge fights and the teacher was…okay. But now I don't have very much time, until the worst part of my day,

"Hey I should take lady out to the meadow, today our yard is starting to get a little bare" I say feeling guilty for not taking her more often

"Okay sounds fun," he says and so we're on our way to my house.

I grab lady's harness, and tie it around her neck "here let me take her" offers physalis, being such a gentleman

"Okay, thanks" I say smiling at him, and so he takes lady's lead rope and we head for the meadow. Before, when I would bring lady to the meadow it was always a quiet time I would sit on the biggest rock I could find, and pet her as she grazed, but with physalis I do nothing but laugh.

"What do you think" he says standing up from the grass, sticks still knotted in his honey blond hair.

"Um, ya that's the look you want, peeta" I say joking, because if I don't I'll just give up, I can't not think about it, it is all around me swallowing my soul piece by piece, so instead of being depressed I joke it's my way of dealing with it.

"Oh are you sure I'm as pretty as the capitol's new finnick odair?" he asks smiling.

"What?" I ask confused

"Well the capitol is falling at lover boys feet, I mean they looove katniss because she's strong, beautiful, compassionate, and well katniss, but every girl in the capitol is talking about peeta, his ocean blue eyes, his lean muscular body, his tousled blond hair" he says jokingly.

"And how do you know what's going on in the capitol?" I ask

"Hey your not the only one who talks to haymitch" he says mischievously

"What, how could you have done that without me knowing?" I ask because we're always together so how on earth could he have.

"Well, I talked to haymitch, like you a lot when my brother was in the games, and I guess you mentioned my name and he remembered me, so when you were with gale that night he called asking for me instead of you, and he told me a lot" he says sheepishly.

"So he told you about how sexy the capitol thinks peeta is, that sure doesn't sound like haymitch" I say curiously

"Well those weren't his exact words, but he said that well, I'm uh not supposed to tell you, sorry" he says looking to the ground

"Please" I say giving him my best sad face, but it doesn't seem to work

PHYSALIS

Why did I say that, why did I tell her I'd talked to haymitch, now not only do I have to keep secrets from her, but she knows that I am as well. Then she starts pouting, and staring into the centre of my heart with those huge blue eyes, begging me to tell her. But I know better than anyone that if I were to tell her what haymitch over heard, it would crush her, and I won't let that happen.

"Prim, I'm so, so sorry, I just honestly can't tell you" I say upset that I have to let her down.

"Oh alright, I understand" she says, sounding forlorn, and I want to just tell her yell it out, and have no secrets but I just can't so I simply whisper

"I'm sorry" one more time.

I remind myself that this is best for her, Then I'm thinking back to my conversation with haymitch.

"_Physalis it's for you" said the mayor's daughter madge, as I sat waiting for prim and gale_

_"Oh okay, thank you" I reply respectfully _

_"Hello" I say questioningly_

_"Hey, kid" says a gruff voice_

_"Haymitch" I say in a whisper_

_"Ya, listen kid, I gotta tell you something, but you can't tell prim, okay" he says _

_"Wait why are you telling me?" I ask confused_

_"Because you need to help prepare that girl, but you can't tell her, got it" he says._

_"Okay, ya I got it" I tell him, because then I just might be able to help her, in some way_

_"I overheard snow talking, and there is no intention to let 2 tributes live" he says disgusted_

_"What, but they already told all the tributes, that if they were-"_

_"ya they said that for drama at the end, look I know it's a lot but that little girl deserves better, you have to somehow try to prepare her for this" he instructs_

_"How can I prepare her for the death of her sister" I ask still dumbfounded by what the capitol is doing._

_"Her sister is not going to die!" he shouts at me "Peeta asked me to bring katniss home, and I will! But peeta, who prim really seems to like will have to die and you need to help her get through it, when maysilee died, I would've given anything for someone to be comforting Madelyn, and that little girl is practically a saint so just freiken do SOMETHING" he roars at me _

_"Wait, who are maysilee and Madelyn?" I ask _

_"No one, j- a- don't worry about that just help her" he says slamming the phone down._

And to this day I don't know whom maysilee and Madelyn are, but I do know that I must help, my beautiful primrose "uh prim?" I ask cautiously

"Yes" she says back to her usual self

"Uh well, what if peeta didn't come back, but katniss did" I ask trying not to give away what I know

"tha-that won't happen" she says

"But if it did" I persist

"Then I'll have you, to help me" she says tearing up as she falls into my arms, and lady starts licking her.

"Is that all" she asks

"Yes I'm sorry" I say feeling like an idiot.

"Well we'd better go so we're not late" she says grabbing lady'S rope

"Okay, ya" I say and so I grab lady's rope in one hand and her hand in my other and we walk towards her house.

PRIM

Once we get back to the house I go into my bedroom to change, still thinking about what he said, what is haymitch telling him, that I can't know, but I know I don't have time to worry about that now, no, now I mutt go to watch the blasted hunger games. KNOCK, KNOCK I run to the door, and find gale standing outside, with a stuffed game bag

"Hey" I say

"Hey kiddo, where's your mom, I got some herbs for her" he say coming through the Door

"She's in the other room, but here I can take them to the medicine cabinet" I offer, so he passed me the herb, and some meat, I quickly return from the kitchen.

I grab physalis' hand and ask gale if he's coming with us to the square, he barely manages to lift his death stare from our interwoven hands to reply, and after a quick scowl at physalis we're out the door. We all sit in our chairs as the giant screen lights up.

There isn't a lot going on so katniss and peeta are shown a lot, being all lovey dovey, and every time she kisses him I feel gale tense and growl quietly beside me. I don't understand why this makes him so mad; I guess he's just protective. Katniss unwraps his leg and I hold my breath as I see the red streaks going up and down his leg, proving that it is blood poisoning, and he is going to die, unless he get capitol medicine. They both realize this, and katniss comes to the conclusion that they must win, to get him healed, jut as claudius templesmith announces a special feast where there will be whatever the tributes need most,

this promises death. Peeta begs her not to go, even says he will crawl beside her, it turns into a huge argument, with katniss ultimately loosing, until she goes to get her soup, an finds a gift, sleep syrup for peeta. She forces it down his throat, he passes out, and she kisses his unreasoning lips. Then the screen goes black. As black as the death my sister is about to walk into, why is she doing this, the answer of course is simple, some of the stupidest things people do, they do in the name of love.

"Attention citizen of strict 12" announces a voice from an intercom "In celebration Of the feast tomorrow, the mines and schools will be closed, with pay, and you are all to be out here at 7:00 tomorrow morning, to watch our tributes compete!" she says happily, and with that we're heading across the square, back to our home.

**hope you liked it and again please help me out here with him, I'm just not sure! ANd also pleeease review! (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::)**


	19. Chapter 19: the feast

**heeey sorry it's been soooo long since I updted I've been really busy, and well anyway here you go!**

**CHAPTER 19**

Were sitting on the couch, all to afraid to speak, to afraid to think of the unthinkable. until we hear the soft knock of tiny hands against the wood of our door, I stand up to answer it, forgetting about physalis's hand intertwined with mine, as I pull him up with me, I cross the room, and turn the knob to reveal analia on the other side sobbing "pwim" she cries through sobs "what's wrong, nally, please tell me, are you okay" asks the responsible older brother "phywwy!" she exclaims "were's mom and dad?" he asks "at home" she simpers "okay, okay, then what's wrong" I ask calmly "

"peeta, he, he's dead!" she wails, nd m whole world starts to spin, but she must be wrong, she has to be wrong, I've shut down completely, and barely hear what happened "kaniss poisoned hiiiiim" she sobs, but no it's no true, it can't be true, she wouldn't he wouldn't, I fall onto the couch bleary eyed and shut off m heart.

"now, analia I'm sure that's not true, it just can't be" argues physalis "no, no I'm sure it's not" he says trying to comfort me.

"it doesn't matter, he's dead gone never coming back" I say solomly, trying to mask my utter soul destroying grief.

"no! no prim come with me we're going to see what really happened" he says pulling me off the warmth n protection of the couch and into the crisp night air.

when we turn on the TV we find katniss and peter in the sleeping bag together like every other night, and I'm flooded with relief.

"see I told you he's fine" says pysalis baking in his correctness, nd wrapping his rms gently around my shoulders.

"but-but-but I saw it she poisoned his berries,cuse he wouldn't let her go to the feast to get is mececine" she says

"analia, it was sleep syrup, we tried to tell you but you went running off" says her father entering the room

"oh," is all she says, "I'm sorry, I just really thought…." She trails off

"it's okay, nally" I say flooded with relief he's okay, but this mean's that katniss is going to the feast, that means m sister could be dead by dawn, in fact it's a very distinct possibility.

as if reading my mind physalis wraps a protective arm around me "don't worry, it'll be okay, it'll be okay" he coos reassuringly.

"how- do-you-know!" I sob into his shoulder.

"Because, prim there are certain things that I just know, example I know that the sun will rise tomorrow, I know that I love you, and I know that your sister will be okay, I promise" he says planting a quick kiss on my forehead, making my problems just melt away, how could anything be more perfect.

"pwease don't weave" begs analia crying once again, poor guys got two girls crying.

"no,no course not nally, staying right here" he assures her "is that okay with you" he asks quietly "of course" I whisper, and so we spend the night at his house.

"I wake up along with the rest of district 12 to the sound of a gong, signaling that the games are about to start, and that we better get out of our homes and into the square before they start beating down doors.

I pull on my clothes, and rip a comb through the tangles in my hair, and we're running out the door.

Bum,bumuuum buuuuuuuum bum bum! This strange music is playing as a table with all the packs rises from the ground, and district 5 jumps out of the cornucopia, and is gone with her pack before anyone can blink. Katniss is the next to run, clove is right behind her, but katniss manages to sink an arrow into her arm, but then it happens the knife goes whizzing through the air, as if in slow motion and I actually feel it as it embeds itself in my sisters head, and then I burry my face in physalis's chest and whisper 2 words to him as my sister is being murdered "you promised" I sob through the lump in my throat.

"I'm sorry prim, I'm so so sorry" he cries with me but then my new hero in life runs to save her, thresh bangs cloves skull in with a rock, and I feel like the happiest person in the world until he turns and points the life ending rock at my sister, and my head is on his broad chest again.

"prim, prim she's gone" physalis says gleefully, how can he be happy if she's gone I look up to the big screen only to see my sister lying in a pool of blood, I inhale sharply. "no prim she's fine, she just gave peeta his medicine and she'll be fine" my mother assures me. Relief over floods me.

"prim, they're okay" says physalis picking me up and spinning me in a gleeful circle. "hey, pretty boy if you wanna be strong why don't you come with me tommorow" suggests gale. "no, no gale that's really not his thing" I say "are you saying I couldn't handle it" says physalis, offended.

"no, no—" I begin "that's what I'm saying" breaks in gale "I'll show you I can handle anything, I'm not some marshmallow with legs, so yes gale I would love to go with you tomorrow" he says defiantly. "no you don't have to prove anything, really it's fine I know your tough" I say wrapping my arms around his neck "well if you really don't want me t—" he begins gale makes a sound like a whip, effectively cutting him off. physlis's face turns beat red, and he turns to gale "I'll show you, meet you in the woods at 10" he growls.

Gale meets him with a scowl, oh I have a bad feeling about this!

**sorry I know it's short but I really felt it neaded to stop right here, hope you still enjoyed it!**


	20. Chapter 20: hunting trip

**okay so this chapter is pathetically short, but i just realllllly felt it had to end where it did! and i promise to update sooner, kay, o forgive me, but i only got 1 review this chpter so i was also kinda bummed and started procrastinating :( **

CHAPTER 20

THUMP, THUMP I wake to the deep sound of heavy fists against wood, and I jump up to find gale standing on the other side of the door. I send him a death glare "ugh, what do you want, gale" I spit.

"Sorry prim, scowling is more katniss's thing" he says smiling as he ruffles my hair

"don't you smile at me gale, you know if he gets hurt it's on your head, right" I say threateningly, poking him in his chest.

"Relax prim, he'll be fine I wouldn't be taking him if I didn't think he could handle it, it's like he said he's not a marshmallow with legs" he says, then he whispers something under his breath, that I can't hear, though I swear I heard peeta's name.

"listen, I just wanted to tell you that I thought it would be better if we didn't go—" he begins "oh I completely agree—" I say cutting him off "until Sunday" he finishes, and I glare daggers at him, then exhale with a loud huff and go sit on the couch.

"so, in three days, your taking him?" I ask hoping I'm wrong, and he'll tell me they're not going at all.

"yup" he says popping the "P" and grinning ear to ear.

"hm, gale why do you want to kill him? I ask, completely serious

"oh calm down prim, he'll be fine" says gale as physalis enters the house.

"hi, beautiful" he says grinning at me

"well I'm flttered but you really should say something nice to prim" says gale stepping between us

"oh, hi gale" says physalis, stepping around him and pulling me down for a long kiss, and I only stop because I can hear gale's muscles tense as he growls his disapproval.

"oh, hi how are you, me I'm fine ya I mean had better days but, you know I'm managing" says gale striking up a conversation with the wall to prove his point.

"sorry gale, hey prim we really gotta get to school" he says rushing me out the door.

The next few days pass rather uneventfully I wake up milk lady, go to school, watch the games which are in their last legs since thresh died last night, and I know in a week they will be over, and my sister, and peeta will be home. But know it's Sunday.

"hey ready to go kid" says gale walking into the house, Ifeel physalis take in a deep, brave breath,

"ready as I'll ever be" he says and with a quick peck on the cheek he's gone promising to see me at 5 in the square.

GALE

The kids actually not that bad, for a beginner he's pretty strong, and though they weren't very clean kills he did take out a few squirrels and a possum. "gotta say, you surprised me kid" I yell up to where he's perched about 30 feet up in a tree, one more thing, he's practically a monkey that kid I haven't seen such a natural climber since….I feel a lump in my throat and my stomach knots at the mere thought of her, climbing high above the forest, her hair blowing behind her, as the setting sun illuminates her perfecrtion, I let out a sigh.

"told you, I'm full of surprises" he shouts climbing down and dropping gracefully to his feet.

"that you are, just one request" I begin "don't kiss prim in fron of me, please it's like watching my sister, it's just gross!" I complin

"okay, deal on one condition" he says

"oh I can't wait for this" I say knitting my face back into a perfect scowl

"stop making me look so weak in front of her" he complains and I can't blame him guess I was kinda rough on him.

"okay, deal" I say sticking my hand out, we shake and then I notice something, about 50 feet up, at the top of one of the fruit trees, there are some oranges, wow we haven't had those in forever!, but it's so high I know I could never make it….. Unless "hey, think you could make it to the top of that tree" I ask pointing it out

"I think I could try" he says with a grin, and before I know it, he's 20 feet in the air, but now the branches are getting weaker, I think about telling him to come own, but I just can't. he makes it to the top and drops them down, I put them in my game bag and start packing up, and that's when I hear it, the loud SNAP of a tree branch, and then screams

**huuuu oh no is he okay... you'll have to wait, oh i'm evil! but the more reviews the faster i wright and untill i have at least 5 i'm not updating! :) thanx luv u all!**


	21. Chapter 21: all or nothing

**okay it took a while but here it is i really hope you like it!**

CHAPTER 21

Shit, I think as I watch him fall down the tree, as if in slow motion, I try to catch him, try to break his fall, but the best I can do is cushion the fall. I hear the sickening crunch as he lands, crying out in pain, dambit, prim's gonna kill me. I think before lifting, this poor broken boy and carrying him back to town.

PRIM

I wonder how it's going, is gale yelling at him yet, or maybe he can actually hunt… naa, he's to town, I love him but I don't thin—" I hear the familiar slam of the door and run to go see how it went.

The smile is quickly wiped from my face, upon seing his broken frail body, curled in gales arms, and in that instant my heart breaks into a million tiny pieces, and dropped all over the floor, but I have no time to be mad, I have to fix him, have to help him.

"MOM" I yell and I lose all emotion and put on my serious face, I have a life to save.

We grind herbs, and mix remidies, I make casts while moter tries to set his bones, it's a long process, and a risky one, he could still die, but no, no I refuse to let that happen.

In the end he only actually broke his arm, but he punctured a lung, which is making it difficult for him to breath, this is far beyond my ability to heal so I leave my mother to help him, and go to let out my emotions, though I'm not sure what those are.

The first thing I see when I walk into the living room is gale, my eyes slit, and I see him cringe in anticipation "gale, how could you be so irresponsible, I told you not to take im, so what do you do, let him fall out of a friggen tree!" I yell at him "I know, prim i-I'm so sorry" he says "sorry, your sorry! He could die!, you do realize that right he could die and it would be your fault" I yell at him, though I don't mean what I say , well maybe I do a little.

"I know, prim, I know i-I don't know what to say " he says looking to the ground, and I'm just about to chew him out some more when I hear the soft whimper from the other room, I rush in to see how he's doing. "prim, is that you" he says weakly "yes, yes it's me it's so good to hear your voice again" I say, allowing a tear to roll don my cheek.

"had a little fall didn't I" he asks, attempting humor, though I don't think anything could possibly be funny while he is this hurt.

"yes, you fell out of a tree, but you'll be okay, you'll be okay" I say trying to convince myself more tan I am him.

"prim, I- I can't breath, prim it hurts, I'm dying aren't I?" he asks looking t me, pleading me to tell him the truth.

"no, no your not don't say that you will be fine, you will be fine" I whisper convincingly

"prim" he whispers, softly, pained by his injured lungs, looking weaker, and weaker

"what, what is it, are you okay do you need something" I ask afraid, suddenly realiing, something could happen he could die, it's possible, but no no people fall out of trees all the time, he can't be dying he just can't.

"I love you" he whispers quietly, as though it's the last words he'll ever say

"I love you to, I always will" I say no longer ale to hold back my tears, as I try to sort through my mess of a life, the two people I love most in the world are sitting on death's gate, why, why all of this to one person, it would have been easier if I'd just gone to the games, because really dying is so much easier than knowing, you've caused a life to end.

I think back to the day of the reaping, which feels like years ago I think to every precious word katniss told me, I think of Effie's signature "and may the odds be ever in your favor" and I think of how they aren't and they never have been, I lost my father, and basically my mother, I am losing my sister, and the only boy I'll ever love, no, the odds have certainly not been in my favor.

"prim, baby I'm so sorry, but we have to go" says mother gently, but no I can't go there I can't go watch this happen to my sister, but I know I must.

We arrive in the square and woodenly take our seats the screen opens to a shot of peeta and katniss hunting, while the fox faced girl from 5 is watching them, and hen peeta goes to collect berries, he finds night lock, no, no I think this can't happen they've made it this far, he can't end his life with a berry.

Fortunately, for him she eats it first, and her body is removed from the arena, then katniss explains this to peeta, and he is utterly shoked. They cook they're meat and wait for cato to show up, but he is having some troubles of his own, caught in a giant spiderweb, though it didn't seem he was meant to be killed by this, the gamemakers emptied the water to force them together, and katniss and peeta decided to oblige.

Buy the time they made it to the lake and filled they're water, night was well on it's way, then an announcement came "now, normally we would be sending you all home to be by now, but since we are so close to the end, we will continue to play through the night, and tomorrow schools, and the mines will be closed" says a peppy capitol accent so stupid and oblivious it could only be Effie trinket.

So we watch we wtch as cato refuses to do as the gamemakers wish, and gets a pack of mutts sicked on him, and so he runs, runs for dear life.

Once he enters the clearing they are all together, at the top, but no peeta I being dragged down, he manages to kill the mutt, and I let out the air I had not realized I'd been holding in. just as I think a miracle may be happening peeta is jerked from katniss by cato, who holds his neck like he means to snap it, though he can't unless he wants an arrow in the brain.

Then the brilliant peeta shows he where to hit him, and her rrow hits his hand, as he releases peeta and slips on the blood slick horn, down to the mutts, down to death.

I want to be happy, they've basically won, but I know they haven't and with cato's armor, I'm still uncertain, but we watch for hours and hours, as katniss and peeta huddle for warmth, but mostly as cato is ripped apart from the vicious mutts, it's horrid, and then out of compassion, not hate katniss sends the arrow to his brain, and he dies. The entire square erupts with shouts of glee and victory they've won! They are coming home, I don't believe this, my sister is coming back, she's coming home!

Until it happens the announcement that rips every particle of my being apart, and reminds me that hope is a very dangerous emotion, but then again so is love, so is love.

Then something magical happens, something brilliant they are going to kill themselves, an while I don't want this, I also know if he died my katniss woul never truly come back to me, just an empty shell with her face.

But then the most amazing thing happens, and I learn the capitol has a heart, as they gently take both of them from the arena, victorious! The square erupts again, and I start crying tears of joy.

I feel odd like I should be more happy, but then I feel like I was just punched in the gut, with realization, I am only half as happy, because only half of my heart is safe, the other half is lying on a kitchen table, dying, and before I can stop myself I'm running back to the house tears stinging my corneas.

I walk into the kitchen and see the most beautiful bright smile I've ever seen, a smile that puts angels to shame "I told you" he says weakly, though still cockily.

"Physalis, your okay! Your better" I exclaim

"of course I am didn't think you could get rid of me that easy did ya" he asks jokingly in his still raspy voice, I run over and kiss him with such passion, as though if I let go he might dissapear.

"wo, maybe I should fall out of trees more often" he jokes, but I don't care because he's alive he's okay and so is katniss.

Then I realize the real worst part has only just begun….. because eventually I'll have to tell katniss.

Except mother said he has to stay in his bed for a long time, so I'm sure I can hide it, for a while at least.

**well there you go i'm not done yet there's still an epologue and i just couldn't bring myself to kill him. so he's just gonn be prim's little secret! also i haven't decided yet if i want to do a catching fire as well, so let me know k! review!**


	22. Chapter 22: epilogue

**okay so this is the LAST chapter i really hope you liked my story and thank you so very very much for all your kind words, i don't think i got a single flamer! though i'm still hoping you'll review**!**for a long time once i stop writing.!**

CHAPTER 22

It feels like just yesterday when katniss and peeta were announced victors, and now I'm at the train station, waiting for her. The district was an absolute mess, since the last time we prepared for a victor was nearly 25 years ago!

Physalis is definitely going to live, though he will be remaining in the district hospital, because though my mother is amazing she didn't have the equipment to properly deal with his lung, so he's all wrapped up and healing, though I'm still not sure how long it will take me to tell katniss.

It's here, it's here her train just pulled up, and a swarm of reporters cuts in front of me to interview the story of the century, I mean dual victors. Still, I want to see them, I want to run up and hug my sister, and her new boyfriend! I'm so happy for her, I mean peeta's a great guy, and he'll love her more than anyone ever would.

Creeeeeek I her the groaning of the large train door as they step out hand in hand, he pulls her down for a long lingering kiss, but it's so different now, she's kissing him with passion, like she has something to prove to him, but he just looks hurt, the exact opposite of that lovesick boy we saw during the post games interviews. I know something happened, and I'll figure it out, but I'll do that tomorrow, for now I'm just so happy to see her.

I run up and jump on her, she smiles and hugs me back "katniss, you came home, you came home" I say letting the tears of joy roll down my cheek.

"of course I did, I promised didn't I" she whispers in my ear gently smiling, but I see it I see the sadness, the hurt, the desperation in her eyes, I have to find out.

"oh katniss your cousins can't wait to see you" she says revealing the hawthornes, minus gale, who is in the woods.

Peeta has got his brothers and father with him as he gingerly walks over to us "hi, beautiful" he says kissing my sister on the cheek, and then turning to me "oh and you must be the famous prim" he says grinning

"hi peeta" I say sweetly, he smiles at me, while reporter steps forward.

"so we've seen our victors reunite with their families now lets see how their parents feel" she begins, then turns to my mother "now miss everdeen, how do you feel about your daughter" she asks

"well, though peeta is just what a young man should be, katniss is far to young to be dating anyone" she says authoritatively glaring at peeta who drops katniss's hand.

Once the reporters leave, and we go home, there's a whole lot of talking and crying, then katniss asks "so, you all saw what was happening to me, but what was happening in your lives?"

"wellllll…"

**ha! so wat do u think? lemme know review! also i'm considering doing a catching fire, so let me know if you would read it k if i get 5 or more yay's then i will k ! (::) (::) (::) by for now! oh but plzzz read my other story "daddy's little girl" it's actually prettty good here i'll give you a synopsis...**

**have you ever wondered what it would be like if your mother was dead, and your father evil, and I don't mean like forgets your birthday, or cheats when you play him at checkers, no i mean evil, the kind of man who kills 24 children every year for no reason, at least that i can see. Now i want you to imagine the most horrible blood thirsty murderous, country in the world, the type of place were they make children kill each other for the entertainment of the capitol city, and he is the leader, well welcome to my life. i am angelica snow. hope u read it!**


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